Blue Autumn
by Khalthar
Summary: Adopted from Dawn Racer: A young mute girl is battered and abused. She believes that she is all alone in life with no purpose, and no friends. Can the meeting of an entirely different race change everything she knew to be true?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Notes: I have been asked to adopt this story, since I have been the Beta Reader for this story for more than a year. Much of the story has been discussed with the original Author, and I have her approval to continue as I choose. I hope that I meet your approval and expectations as well.**_

 _Silence. It was the one constant thing in everyone's life, we just covered it up with noise. Laughter, idle chatter, or music. All of these things are to cover up the white noise, but what about those who can't escape it? Well I can tell you that it is not very much fun. That white noise is the back ground noise to my life, it is my only friend..._

The pencil clattered against the floor as I snapped the journal closed. Honestly I don't know why I wrote in the small black book, I suppose it brought me a small sense of security by having _someone_ to tell everything to...even if it's an inanimate object. Sighing I stared down at the black journal, it was so dark in comparison to my skin. Of course everything was, I always surrounded myself in black; black nails, cloths, make-up, and hair. It was the symbol of safety to me. It was a symbol of safety because if you wore dark colors you could blend into the shadows. No one could hurt you if you were in the shadows, no one could get you, no one could make fun of you, and no one could see you.

A pang of longing shot through my chest. Longing to be able to come out of the black solitude, but I knew it was unsafe. If I came forth again I would break and never heal...the last time...the last time-I couldn't even finish the thought. The memories were too horrid to remember. A soft sob made its way out of my throat unbidden. My black painted lips parting in silent agony, equally dark lidded eyes clenched over the deep chocolate colored irises. My long black nails raked at my pale wrists, old scars showing up as pinkish silver lines. New red lines showing up from my claws. _Oh God, it's not enough!_ I inwardly screamed. Standing up everything seemed to sway; my heart pounded painfully, my fingers shook from the _need_.

Stumbling to my bathroom I pulled out my trusty ancient knife and gently placed pressure on my arm. Sliding it across my wrist, I threw back my head in a strange sort of twisted pleasure that brought its own version of temporary relief. Looking at the red lines I drew more until my sink was filled with crimson. A sadistic smile swept across my black lips, the snake bites glinted as brightly as my white teeth in the mirror. It was a feral grin, one that was common place upon my features by now. Turning on the faucet, I washed the blood away, cleaned my arm, and pulled my sleeve down. Looking back up at the mirror, I studied my tiny appearance. My hallow cheeks seemed more sunken in than I remember. The dark circles beneath my eyes making me seem worse for wear than I actually was. Sighing I straitened my long sleeve, a frown pulling at my lips. The shirt seemed loose; it was snug just a week ago. _Damn... I'm already a size zero... children's section it is._ I thought despairingly. Of course I hardly eat... that could contribute to the weight loss... Scowling I walked into my small bedroom and flopped down on my bed, if you could count a lumpy mattress on the floor as a bed.

Closing my eyes, I rolled onto my side and shivered. I pulled my tattered thread bare sheet over me as I curled into a ball and tried to sleep. Opening my eyes after about an hour, I rolled onto my back and rested my arms on my stomach. Staring at the ceiling, I contemplated yet again the one idea I had always entertained: suicide. I would never do it of course, I didn't have a wish to die, I just wondered what it would be like to die. Laying there well past twelve contemplating different things my eye lids finally began to sting. I closed my eyes and laid there until the darkness once again came to hold me in its arms and lull me into that blissful, tranquil oblivion.

XXXX

The sun pouring into my window is what woke me up. Jerking up I looked around and realized I had overslept. Cursing a thousand profanities under my breath, I lunged up and quickly changed into my favorite baggy black cargo pants. Grabbing my black hoody, I slipped it over my long sleeve. Walking into the bathroom, I took off my worn make up and redid it for the school day. Checking my watch, I saw that I had ten minutes before the first bell. Plenty of time to get there... if I ran. Scowling I shrugged my bony shoulders and brushed through my mostly black hair, the bangs a deep crimson. Turning I walked from the bathroom and grabbed my black messenger bag. The silver skulls etched in the fabric glinting in the light as I slung it over my shoulder.

Sighing, I slowly opened my door and peered down the hallway listening intently. I didn't hear Dad anywhere, nor did I see him. Either he got drunk and passed out or he's out at the whore house again. Shuddering in disgust I quickly walked down the hallway and into the kitchen, grabbing an apple I tiptoed toward the door. I could never know when he decided to return or wake up; it was like walking on eggshells in this house. Reaching toward the door knob I heard a stair creak.

"Shit." I wanted to whisper softly, but the words couldn't leave my mouth. Panic filled my chest as my heart quickened, adrenaline coursing through my veins. A ragged man stumbled down the steps, his brown hair oily and matted. Drunken half-crazed muddy brown eyes locked on me. Raising a shaking hand he slurred out hissing words that made my skin crawl.

"You bitch. What are you still doing here?" I backed up against the door, my eyes wide in fear, the bruises that littered my body started aching at the sight of him. The cuts on my wrists throbbed in time with my heartbeat. Reaching behind me I managed to finagle the door open as he rushed me. Slipping out I slammed it, the sound of something heavy colliding with it made me flinch. The door jarring against my back and the loud thud making me wonder if he had a concussion. A growl made its way past my lips. _Good let him have a concussion. I hope he dies too!_ I thought with conviction. Walking down the road, I took my time knowing I would be late anyways. These walks and the hours at school were a plus in my opinion: any time away from _him_ was precious and helped me keep what little sanity I had left.

Sighing I held back a groan of annoyance at the sight of the school before me. Time always seemed to slip by so fast just when I didn't want it to. I hated school. Well... not school _,_ school, exactly; I was always interested in learning new things, it was the students that bothered me. Biting back a growl of annoyance, I tromped up the steps and into the school. _Let the torture begin._

XX

By the time school was over, I was thoroughly peeved. How immature could some people be? I mean honestly, that Witwicky boy actually had something interesting to say for his project, well… besides the whole auctioning thing that he had going on, and Trent had to go and throw the paper clip? Ugh! The nerve of some people! I really hoped he got that A though, I had heard he was trying to get a car and an A would be a step closer toward it. Shaking my head, I headed to the girls bathroom and pulled out makeup bag. Setting my black messenger bag on the floor I touched up my lip stick and eye shadow. That was about all of the makeup I wore beside some eyeliner and mascara. The sound of footsteps echoing with laughter caught my attention. Looking up in the mirror, I caught Mikaela Banes and her friends walking in. As per usual flaunting their assets. Disgust filled me as I thought of all the times my father had brought women like that home. One of the girls saw me looking at them in the mirror and sneered. Her pink lips pulling back cruelly over her over white teeth.

"Oh look, its Demon." She said snottily. My pale cheeks flushed as humiliation swept through me. Girls like them are what made my already horrible life a living hell. The worst part was, was that I couldn't tell them off. Dropping my gaze, I shoved my things back in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I went to move past them, but a hand to my chest stopped me. It was the snotty bitch again.

"Well aren't you going to apologize?" I gave her a confused look as she grinned cruelly. My lips curled as I silently sneered, lifting my hand I flicked her off. Her lips popped open with a gasp, anger in her eyes as her cheeks turned red. Turning I stormed past her, making sure to hit her with my bag. Stalking down the hall way as silently as a shadow, I contemplated the nickname I've had since I was in preliminary school. I would have thought of something different, such as Shadow. Maybe Death? Na. Shaking my head with a faint snort I heaved a silent sigh. If only I could speak, then I could give them a piece of my mind! But ever since that day...the day that changed my life forever...I can't speak. I wasn't born mute... I was made mute.

I clenched my hands into fists of silent rage at the memory, trying to forget it, but it wouldn't stay forgotten. It was a memory that haunted my sleep every night, it haunted my days and dreams. Pain lanced through my heart as I looked up at the sky. _Mom I miss you... you would know what to do._ I thought as I headed home slowly, but just like this morning, the time seemed to pass to quickly. All too soon I stood before my dreaded front door, the over grown weeds and cracked pavement making it that much more dreaded in my opinion. The wood work of the front door was rotting and the bricks that made up the house were crumbling. Reaching toward the doorknob I turned it and slowly walked in, I didn't see my 'father' but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

Edging into the house slowly I looked around carefully, looking for signs of him being there. When I didn't see any signs of habitation I slowly edged toward the staircase. A sound behind me had me taking off faster than a Jack Rabbit. A hand clamped down on my shoulder swinging me off my feet. Pain exploded in my side as I hit a glass cabinet. Looking up I found my father standing there. His white dress shirt untucked and wrinkled, black slacks ripped and wrinkled. His dark brown hair still oily and disheveled, a bottle of Jack clenched in his drunken hand.

"You! You shouldn't even be here you pathetic waste of space!" I tried not to flinch, as much as my father drank I liked to blame his hateful nature on the alcohol, but I knew it wasn't true. Where was the father that was fun and gentle that I sometimes remembered? I think he died when mom did. This new man... I hate him. Tears blurred my vision as I silently screamed profanities at him, but no words moved past my moving lips. Standing up, I left my bag and made a dash for the door. I made it outside... only to be grabbed from behind by my father. I kicked and squirmed, silently screaming, but no one could hear me. He dragged me upstairs and threw in my room... literally. Pain exploded in my palms and rose up my arms, fresh bruises, and cuts aching and adding to the pain already throbbing with my heart.

"Stay here until you learn some manners, whore!" He snarled drunkenly. Throwing the bottle at me, it shattered against my shoulder. Pain zipped through me as the door slammed shut and the bolt struck home. Curling into a little ball I cried silently.

 _'_ _Silence. It came with misery, they were twins. And I, Demon, am the person who brings them with me. Silence and Misery dance upon those I pass, presses down on them like unbearable weights on their shoulders; but none shall hurt more than me. For I live in Silence. I am Silence. I am my own best friend.'_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Notes: This story is going to be very close to the original story of "Blue Autumn", there will be a few changes and tweaks though, but nothing that will detract from the story that you have already enjoyed.**_

 _ **To Atraxotax; The main reason for writing stories about girls… it has a larger audience. Putting a boy through absolute hell doesn't really draw the reader in as much. Don't worry though, I put ALL of my MAIN original characters (OC's) through absolute hell. The ending of Rebirth of Honor will show that quite clearly. A story isn't a story without some tragedy, and drama. I am working on a Xenomorph story, but it's not ready for posting yet, I am also working on Halo, Godzilla, and some others, including an AVP & Lord Of The Rings crossover that will have NOTHING to do with Middle Earth! Meaning, that I am NOT sticking a Yautja or Xenomorph into Middle Earth… instead, I am putting a Hobbit into AVP… and YES… there will be magical items in use! Although that will completely CONFOUND the Yautja!**_

A headache threatened to split my skull as a dull aches became known across my body. Groaning I tried to shift only to have my body revolt. Writhing in agony, the torturous flames of pain slowly kindled down to nothing. I lay there heaving for air, perspiration coating my face. Slowly standing up, I bit my cheek to hold back the silent cries of pain. My hand immediately folded over my left side, the side that had been smashed with the table. My ribs felt like they were on fire, my breathing was arduous and just simply standing there felt as if I had run a marathon. My legs gave out as I collapsed back down to the floor.

Tears stung my eyes as my hands clenched on the old, cold, hard wood floor. _Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this?_ Some inner voice grinned sadistically and mimicked my fathers tones. I clenched my eyes shut and tried not to vomit at the onslaught of pain that crashed through me, both physically and mentality. The voice hissed and snaked through my mind making the world spin. ' _You existed_.' I struggled up to my feet, and I staggered to the bathroom, my ribs protesting the whole way. Falling to my knees I bent over the toilet and emptied the contents, which wasn't much considering I never ate.

Sitting backwards on my haunches I let the silent tears fall, oh how I wished I could scream, shout, or do _something_! But alas... I was useless. My vision swam into dark colors, my heart pounding, dots blurring my vision. Staggering up I reached into my dingy cupboard and got my razor blade. Rolling up my sleeve, I slashed at my skin, wanting nothing more than the release of emotional pain. Blood seemed to be the only cure. Slowly the pain ebbed through me and took away the ache within my heavy heart. Slumping against the sink, I watched with sick satisfaction as the blood pooled and dripped down the cracked white marble. Smiling morbidly, I cleaned up my mess.

Pulling my sleeve back down, I stumbled back into my room and changed into a different set of jeans. Slowly and agonizingly I stripped my long sleeve off, pain wracked my body stealing my breath away. Clenching my jaw I managed to get the shirt off, perspiration covered my arms and abdomen. Gasping softly I staggered forward and grabbed a loose tank top. Sliding it on, I grabbed my favorite hoody and slipped it on as well. Brushing my hair from my eyes, I slowly applied my make up and grabbed my bag. A silent whimper made its way up my throat, tears pricking my eyes.

I ambled slowly from my room, bag sitting painfully on my shoulder and resting against my no doubt broken ribs. Gritting jaw I quickly moved down stairs, the sound of heavy panting, groaning, and moaning from my fathers room alerting me to his visitor. Disgust welled up in my being, but I knew that if he was occupied, I would have a chance of getting out and getting to school. Stumbling out the front door I slowly walked down the street, pain ricocheting through my torso with every jarring step. Clenching my eyes tightly shut I forced myself to walk down the street toward my school, my vision swimming and blurring the entire time.

As I made the final turn to my school I heaved a sigh of relief. The sound of a throaty engine grabbed my attention, looking up I saw a beat up '77 Camaro with faded yellow paint and black racing stripes. A grin pulled at my lips when I realized Witwicky was driving it. _Well he got the car after all._ I thought proudly. I may not know a lot of people, but Sam was one of the few people I would probably consider as a friend, but alas I can't speak, so I don't have any friends. No one could ever know of the horrors of my life, I could never know anyone else, for why would anyone wish to speak with a demon?

XXX

Sitting through Biology was bad enough with having to move around and look into microscopes, but that was child's play compared to the agony I was in now. PE, such a wondrous class. Not. I had been forced to change into my PE cloths even though I didn't want to. Putting in my combination, I quickly grabbed my shorts and shirt and went into a stall. Couldn't have anyone seeing the markings now could I? Changing rather swiftly for being as injured as I was I gave myself a silent pat on the back as I put my jeans and long sleeve in the locker. My jacket always stayed on my person.

Slamming the door to my locker, I put the lock back on and made sure it clicked into place. Turning I bumped into the snotty brat from yesterday. Her pink lips curled back as she sneered. How anyone could think she was pretty was beyond me. With the way she was always baring her teeth I had to wonder if she had Rabies. Quirking a silent dark frown I shoved past her and made for the door. I never got there however as a surprisingly strong hand grabbed my arm, the one that I had put fresh cuts in last night. I could feel a warmth spread across my arm as she no doubt reopened the healing damage.

"What's your problem bitch, huh?" She snapped while jerking me backwards. My back slammed into a locker making me gasp in pain as my ribs protested, dark splotches crossed my field of vision. I looked up at her and glared.

"Why don't you talk huh? Too scared?" She sneered. Anger welled up inside of me. _Trust me bitch, it's not by choice._ I thought angrily. Suddenly manicured nails were against my face, a loud pop sizzling in the air. My head twisted to the side as pain lanced through my right cheek. Turning my head I stared at her expressionlessly. Anger twisted her features displaying who she really was beneath all that makeup. Her other hand whipped out and popped my left cheek.

Turning my head I just stared at her, trying to hide my amusement. That was the worst she's got? I inwardly snorted. She's got nothing on my father. Curling my lips, I pushed her away from me and walked out of the room. My cheeks stinging as the cool air hit them, but again I ignored them. They were nothing compared to my searing ribs and torn up wrist. Of course the whole wrist thing was solely my fault, but that's a moot point.

Scowling I walked down the track not bothering to jog like everyone else. I think the coach finally gave up on trying to make me exercise. It's not like I needed it, I mean I'm not vain, but I'm already very thin. I can't really afford to loose any more weight. Sighing, I hugged my arms to my sides not paying attention to anything around me. Something slammed into me from behind knocking me to the ground, pain lanced up my already damaged hands as I tried to catch myself.

"Oops sorry I didn't see you there Demon." I gritted my teeth and stood up slowly, the evil conniving rabid preppy from earlier stood before me. _Figures I would make enemies almost as bad as my dad._ I thought dismally. Rolling my eyes I walked away from her intent on ignoring her, of course she didn't like that. A shove from behind had me stumbling forward, locking my legs I whirled around and wanted to scream 'what is your problem!', but I knew it wouldn't do any good. For starters I can't talk, secondly I doubt she has any brains to comprehend what I would be saying. I may not be able to speak, but body language does wonders. Crossing my arms I shot a dark glare toward her. Locking my dark eyes on her pale blue ones. My hands clenched into my locked arms, my eyes narrowing even further.

"Oh so scary. What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" She sneered as she circled me like some wild animal. I kept an emotionless facade as I watched her, admittedly I was a bit nervous. Glancing up I saw the coach eying us wearily, the other jogging kids slowed to investigate. A hopeful look in their eyes. _Of course, everyone wants to see the Goth beaten up don't they?_ I thought with disgust. That voice came back hissing smugly. ' _Only when it's you.'_ I dug my fingers into my palms at that. Glaring disdainfully at the psychotic bitch I turned my back on her to walk away. Bad idea.

A sudden weight crushed against me, and threw me to the ground, natural instinct from years of being around my father kicked in. My legs flew up between her body and my own when we rolled over. Bending my knees I put as much force into the kick as I could. Flinging my legs out, I slammed them into her, thrusting her off of me. Rolling into a crouched position I watched her body language, a silent snarl on my lips, adrenaline drowning out the agony I knew I should have been in. The girl stood up and glared at me, heat pooling in her cheeks at having been tossed aside so easily.

I wanted to tell her to not take it personally; she was just weak like everyone else. A faint smile pulled at my lips as I sneered at her. As soon as she tensed and stared at me with a look I knew all to well, I tensed. My instincts kicking in and assessing the situation, steeling myself, I decided I was done with running. My muscles filled with the adrenaline pumping through my blood stream, fight or flight kicking in and switching gears. I was gonna take this predator out, teach her I wasn't prey. My lips curled into a silent snarl, as the preppy spoiled brat lunged I tensed my muscles and let her slam into me. I knew the impact of me not moving must have felt like slamming into concrete, it sure felt like a truck plowing into me.

I let my muscles turn fluid and used the last of the momentum to flip us over, curling my lips I slammed her into the running track. She looked up at me with wide eyes full of confusion, leaning in close I let her see my eyes fully, see the fury that lay hidden within. A strangled whining noise came from her as she started screaming. A hand pulled me off of her and thrust me to the side, as my adrenaline wore off I could feel my abused and battered ribs complaining at all the treatment they were getting. Hissing I winced and silently touched my side as the obnoxious preppy told the coach I had attacked her. Bull shit.

Silently I stood as the coach came toward me and in a clipped tone, told the students to continue what they were doing. All of them dispersed muttering about the short fight. As the buff coach grabbed my arm and hauled me away I couldn't help but to look back. Those pink lips stretching over pearly white teeth mocked me. Clenching my fist, I strode forward trying to ignore the one person who insisted on making me life miserable. _Supposed to be my fathers job, slut._ I thought inwardly.

When we got to the discipline office the coach thrust me inside and slammed the door, leaving me to my fate. Scowling I walked over and sank down in a chair. I couldn't really care less what these people had to say to me. Authoritative figures meant nothing to me. My father was supposed to be an authoritative figure in my life, but he abused his power, and me. So why should I trust that others won't do the same? No one has ever helped me, no one has ever saved me. I relied on myself.

Crossing my arms I slunk down in my seat, listening to voices discussing what to do with me. Anger pulsed in my heart, filled my veins with its burning fire. My lungs felt like they were filled with water, splotches echoing across my vision. The walls were crowding me in. The voices were coming my way, but taking a glance to the door I knew I could make it. Standing up I rushed out the door before the shadows even passed the corner. Sprinting down the hallways I rushed outside and made a break for the busy streets.

Voices were shouting at me to come back, feet pounded behind me, but they quickly fell behind me. Skidding into an alley way I gasped for breath, my ribs pounding and stealing my breath away. Walking down the alley a cool wind blew past making me shiver. For some reason, it was always cold in the inner city. The walls around me were crumbling, the buildings in a state of decay. I crept silently like a shadow, moving through the devastation of neglect and time. A hole in a wall just big enough for me to crawl through is where I stopped. Looking around to make sure I wasn't being followed I slipped into the opening and crawled through the barely big enough shaft. When it opened I found myself in a destroyed and abandoned church. Not many knew it, but I was religious. Sometimes I got angry at God, but there had to be a reason for all of this right? I mean, it wasn't like I went to church services or anything, but... this was the only thing I had left.

The only thing keeping my shreds of sanity together. Standing up slowly I dusted off my dirty gym shorts and jacket. Swallowing I crept to the alter and knelt down. Tears blurred my vision as I looked down, trying to determine what to say... well think. Closing my eyes I bowed my head and for the first time in awhile I prayed. _Everyone has abandoned me... I'm lost... I need strength, I need help. Please... help me._ A tear slipped down my cheek, because as usual, I got no answer.

Standing up I brushed it away and made my way back outside. Once in the alley I made my way north. Away from the apartment complexes, the rundown streets, away from my school. The north side was the 'rich' side. It was where the middle class such as Witwicky lived, I only knew because I had been there once. I had made a run for it and surprisingly Witwicky had helped me... he was the only one who knew. I suppose in a way we were friends, perhaps? Sighing, I walked down the clean streets, everything new and taken care of. Stopping outside a house I looked in, watching a family have dinner, glancing at the sun I supposed it must be already somewhere around four in the afternoon. _I wonder what it'd be like... to live with a loving family..._ I thought inwardly while watching the children talk and laugh, the parents share a loving kiss. Turning away I swallowed back the pain in my heart.

Dropping my head below my shoulders I trudged down the street desolately, trying to decide what to do. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go home, no doubt the school had to have contacted my father. I shivered at the idea of what awaited me when I got home. Sucking in a soft breath I only knew of one place to go, it wasn't exactly pleasant, but she would take me for the night... she always did. Walking up to a house silently I followed the path knowing how the woman was and stopped on the porch. Reaching up hesitantly I paused my hand in front of the door and swallowed. Heaving a silent sigh I rapped my knuckles across the wood. It was silent for only a few moments before the door opened. Bright light spilled across the porch, illuminating the yard.

The hectic woman standing there and took in a drag from her cigarette, her deep sea green eyes narrowed. Blowing smoke into my face while she looked me over with disgust.

"What are you doing here?" My aunt snapped. Pain washed across my features. I wanted to reply to her but I couldn't, so I did the only thing I could. Shifting my hoody, I lifted my throat and let my aunt see the long horizontal pink scar on my throat. Letting go I returned to a more relaxed position and found her staring at me oddly.

"Just like your mother. Get inside." She snapped and moved aside. I didn't understand what she meant, but I wasn't going to refuse. It was either this or go home and face my father. Walking inside silently I heard the door close behind me and my aunt walked to the couch. Plopping down she picked up her wine glass and took a sip. Wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other she nodded to the stairs.

"You know where everything is." she stated rather than questioned. Nodding silently even though I knew she couldn't see it I moved inside, closed the door, and walked up the stairs. Walking down the hall silently I slunk to the room my mother used to call her own. Swallowing, I opened the door and stepped inside. Surprisingly not a spec of dust touched anything. Aunty must be taking care of the room in memory of her sister... my mother. Walking over to the bed I gently sat down on it, running a hand over the silky neon blue sheets I looked up and around. The same old mahogany vanity, the oak floor boards, coffee table, and shelves stuffed with books that haven't been touched in years. Closing my eyes I pictured my mother, her deep sea foam green eyes, silky strawberry blond hair, and sleek figure in my minds eye. Her voice musical and serene as she sang me to sleep. A tear slid down my cheek when I thought of her, I hadn't seen her since that day. Taking in a ragged breath, I wiped the tears away from my cheeks with the heels of my hands. Lying back I closed my eyes and curled into the bed, my mother's scent still lingered on the pillows. Filling my nostrils with it, her singing voice in my ears.

XXX

At roughly six am I awoke and quickly climbed out of bed. Slinking down the halls I escaped through the front door and made my way home. Luckily it was Saturday so I could get home, get dressed, reapply makeup, and be out the front door for the rest of the day. The dark streets slowly began to turn gray with dawns light as I slunk up the steps of the old worn down building. Walking into the house I crept to my room and grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans, a black long sleeved shirt, and fresh under clothes. Once in the bathroom I took an extremely quick shower and got out. Pulling on the fresh clothes I put on my usual make up.

Grabbing my messenger bag I took out my school books and put in some art supplies and money. Pausing at my door I hesitated before back tracking and grabbing my knife. Rushing out my bedroom door I made for the stairs when a shadow stepped in front of me. My father stood there looking haggard as usual, but something was different. Taking a step backwards I noticed he held an old black chains in his hands. My blood turned cold and I backed up, my back slamming against my door. His muddy brown eyes locked on mine, oily brown hair flung everywhere haphazardly.

"I see you're home. Finally come back from your romp you little slut?" Disgust and anger rushed through me. How dare he? He took a step closer and my blade suddenly whipped out. I held it in front of me shakily and silently dared him to take a step closer. He glanced from the knife to me and suddenly started laughing.

"You think _that_ fazes me? I've killed people, and you're no different from others in my book." Suddenly he dropped the chains and pulled out a huge gutting knife. My own small knife clattered to the ground as fear swept through me. _He... he wouldn't... would he?_ As if reading my expression his cold laughter echoed around me.

"Oh I will do it. You're pathetic! Just like your slut of a mother." Angry tears blurred my vision as I stared up at the man I was forced to call father. Turning I quickly opened my door and slipped in, my father tried to follow, his knife flinging at me wildly. I shoved my meager body weight against the door, trying to close it. After a moment, his arm slipped away and the door slid shut. Locking it I raced for the window and tried to open it. I pulled and yanked on it as the sound of splintering would echoed behind me. A silent sob made its way up my throat as I yanked on the window, my father's form burst through the shredded door way, his knife sinking into my side. Blood spurted from my mouth and onto the window as I collapsed. The blade sank into my ribcage, no doubt puncturing a lung, if the drowning feeling and gurgling was any indication. Sinking to the floor, I felt chains being clamped tightly onto my hands behind my back, and clamping my ankles together. _Shackles._ I thought distantly.

Closing my eyes tightly I waited for the finishing blow, but it never came. Instead, I was dragged through the house, painfully down the stairs, and out the back door. The grass ripped and tore at my cloths and skin. Turning he picked up a rock and before I could move slammed it into the base of my skull. My body went limp and everything faded to black.

XXX

When I came to I could feel a sticky liquid in my hair, matting it. I winced and attempted to raise my hand to check it out, but something jerked my hands. Opening my eyes I found the night sky up above me. A dull pounding behind my eyes flared into a full out migraine as the soft moon light hit my dilated pupils. Slowly twisting my head to the side with a silent whimper of pain I looked around trying to observe my surroundings. Every little bit of light hurt my eyes and agitated my migraine. My breaths were shallow, a faint gurgling wheeze erupting from my throat with every breath. A trickle of liquid rolled from the side of my mouth, and even though I couldn't see it I was sure it was blood.

I closed my eyes as the sounds of the forest around me echoed and mocked me, the shrubbery occasionally shivering and the squeal of something dieing piercing the air. Resting my head against the ground I could feel the pool of blood slowly growing as I grew drowsy. The pressure in my skull seemed to be slowly increasing as well, it was as if my brain was swelling. I had no doubt that that was probably the problem. If my memories were correct, my father had hit me over the head with a rather large rock. _I probably have a concussion._ I thought morosely. The night air was suddenly pierced by a loud cracking noise. Jerking I tried to sit up, only to have pain explode in my chest and blood splatter the ground from my mouth.

My breath halted as blood flooded my lungs. My dark eyes widened as I realized I was dieing. It finally hit me. My father had left me here to drown in my own blood. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and even though it taxed me and probably made me loose even more blood, I struggled to move, to get out of my shackles. I refused to die out here. I could feel my heart slowing as my precious life blood was ever so slowly leaking away.

After a while I quit struggling and just stared up at the stars. I could feel my body heat leaving me as I just stared blankly up. The panic ebbed away as a more peaceful feeling washed through me. I suppose dieing wasn't meant to be. The next thing I knew someone was beside me and talking in a hurried rambling voice.

"Hey are you okay. You really don't look so good. Oh my gosh your leaking everywhere! What happened, why are you chained up? Do you know who did this to you?" I blinked owlishly at him as I started to see double. _At least I'll die in the arms of a cute guy._ I thought bemusedly. He had deep blue gray hair that hung in his eyes and spiked up in the back. His eyes were an amazing neon blue. _Contacts?_ His features masculine and drawn smoothly. His hands grabbed the chains and broke them rather efficiently, his biceps sliding under me and picking me up gently.

"Don't worry I'll get you to a med bay! It'll all be good. My names Blue by the way! What's yours? Oh right, your too injured to speak right now huh? Don't worry I'll get you to a med bay! Wait I said that already didn't I?" I started to zone out and fade into a dazed sleep. I guess too much blood loss did that to you. I was distantly aware of being settled in a car, the seats seemed to mold around me as heat blasted on my icy skin. A voice, _Blue's?_ , was chattering away. _What an odd name... Blue..._ I thought as I finally succumbed to the darkness.

XXX

It felt as if I had been sleeping forever. My limbs felt heavy, an obnoxious beeping faded into consciousness somewhere from my left. Grimacing, I turned my head and slowly opened my eyes. An onslaught of light filtered into my eyes, giving me a mild headache, blinking the dots away a white room came into focus. … _Hospital... I hate hospitals._ I thought dismally. Looking around I saw a T.V. across the room from me. Surprisingly it was turned on, but what surprised me was the news report on much of downtown Mission City getting destroyed. I was confused for multiple reasons.

1: how did I get here?

2: How long have I been out?

And 3: what happened to Mission City?


	3. Chapter 3

The news I was watching was of Mission City, and some of the buildings in it were destroyed. Others were still severely damaged. Apparently, it had been a terrorist attack, but something didn't sit well with me on that idea. It was a tingling sensation that my instincts claimed to be false, that there was something else at work. When the doctor came in he flashed me a warm smile.

"Ah I see you are finally awake!" I blinked at him perplexed. The way he said that made it sound as if I had been unconscious for more then a few days; but if this terrorist attack had happened, perhaps I was unconscious for only a few hours? Looking at the man wearily, I made a motion of writing. He nodded understandably and handed me his pen, walking over to the cabinet in the room he grabbed a sheath of paper and handed it to me on a book. I gave him a weary smile, not trusting this man. I wrote neatly on the paper in my slanted scrawl.

 _ **My name is Autumn, how long have I been out?**_

Handing it to the doctor, I watched his eyes flash across the simple line before looking back up at me. Clearing his throat he spoke softly, as if speaking to an idiot. I clenched my jaw and curled my hands into fists under the blanket. I hated being degraded, pitied, scared. It made hate boil inside me, almost to the point of boiling over and sizzling the sheets around me. If I could speak, venom would drip from every word, but alas I could not. All I could do was hold my tongue in silence.

"Well Autumn you have been out for some time, three weeks to be precise. When you were brought here you were under a great amount of strain physically, can you remember what happened to you, where you are?" _I do, but I won't tell you, you douche. What has authority ever done for me? What did they ever do for my mamma?_ My eye twitched from the amount of strain produced from not glaring. I wanted to so badly reach out and back hand this man, but I knew I would only get in more trouble. I knew from experience that men had no qualms over hurting me. Logic dictated that this man would be no different.

The doctor must have taken my silence as me concentrating or something. Shaking his head he patted me on the shoulder and smiled softly.

"Autumn, don't worry you're in safe hands-" _No I'm not. I'm never safe, not with_ Him _breathing._

"We'll find out who did this to you." _No you won't. You won't even try; and even if you did you would never find_ Him _, they never do._ I thought despairingly, anger filling me at this mans false words and promises. My eyes burned with unshed tears. Not from sorrow, but from anger. The man, much to my dismay, left after his little speech. Leaving me to the silence of the room, only the television in the background provided any noise. _Damn I really wanted to chew him a new one. It would be in writing, but it would have had to do._ I thought with animosity. I sat scowling at the empty room for a while, but eventually lay back down from the dull ache in my still healing ribs. My eyes strayed back to the T.V. The destruction in view, tendrils of smoke still lingering over the once pristine city. Devastation in its purest form. _What had happened?_

XXX

Laying there in bed three days later, I found my self growing steadily more and more annoyed. The doctors wouldn't let me go, they wanted to see if I had any family to contact for information and release. The only person I had legally was my father, and I wasn't about to sell myself out to that man. Distantly down the hall I heard a commotion, a vaguely familiar voice was talking too fast for me to understand through the muffling walls. The door burst open and there stood the one person I thought I'd never see again, Blue. I was almost certain that I'd only imagined him to begin with. His gray blue hair glinted silver in the florescent lights, likewise his neon blue eyes seemed to literally glow. A surprisingly sexy grin made its way to his lips.

"You're awake! The doctors told me they didn't know when you'd wake up, but just in case you did I've been visiting for the past three weeks the same time everyday. This is the first time my friends have joined me though! Oh right, I kinda never got your name last time we saw each other, I was to busy getting you here-" I felt dizzy trying to understand everything this hyperactive young man was saying. Luckily a taller adult stepped forward, his hair wasn't too long, a soft dirty blond. Like Blue, his eyes were Neon blue... all of these men's were actually. The man in question pushed his glasses up his nose and spoke calmly, although a faintly irritated edge laced his voice like frost on a window.

"Blue, hush. She has just awoken from a three week coma, she does not need your constant banter to give her a migraine." His voice was smooth and calming, that of someone sophisticated. He turned to me and offered a small smile as if to apologize for Blue's rambling.

"My name is Ryan R. Atchet I am a medic for the military. Blue here has told me you were severely injured when he found you?" It was a question to get my side of the story, it was like they wanted to see if I knew something I shouldn't. Swallowing I reached for the pad of paper.

"Why's she writin'?" Glancing up briefly I noticed a tall slender dark skinned man, a blue visor like pare of shades hid his eyes from sight. Dread locks were pulled back into a pony tail of sorts, his clothing though did not look military, it looked more like he was trying to be gangster.

 _ **I got lost.**_ I began calmly, the dull scratching of pen on paper filled the silence as they awaited what I had to say. I winced internally knowing I was lying, something my father would have severely punished me for, but I didn't want anyone in on my business. If they got involved, things would only get worse for me in the long run.

 _ **I was injured trying to find my way home. As for Blue's question, my name is Autumn.**_

Placing the pen down I held out the sheet to Ryan. He took it and glanced it over before holding it out to a man with raven black hair. His hair was so dark that it shimmered blue; his body was tall, slender, and regal. He was the only one that actually looked military out of all of them, except for the seriously pumped brute at his side. He was huge! Built like a tank with charcoal black hair and tanned skin that stretched over abs and biceps; hell, even his _muscles_ had muscles!

"Well Autumn, I would prefer to do a check up of you myself. I do not approve of these hu-civilian doctors' work." I noticed his slip up. A frown pulled at my lips, but I tossed it aside. Everyone stutters. I nodded my consent warily, I was just hoping he didn't ask too many questions, I didn't need to deal with nosy authorities as of right now. As the man came to my side he gently picked up my arms and looked over the bruises silently, his fingers tracing the injuries with narrowed eyes. I swallowed feeling more nervous by the second. He silently lifted my shirt to just beneath my breasts to see my ribcage, just seeing the yellow, green, and purple bruises made me nauseous. I could remember exactly how I got each bruise. I jumped at the feeling of cool fingers tracing the damage, running over my too-thin ribcage. I could feel his fingers trace every single rib bone seeing as they stuck out. After a few moments he set my shirt back down and backed off, a troubled look on his face.

"You are healing remarkably well, considering the amount of damage you have sustained." _You're telling me._

"Although I suggest you take it easy for awhile. Your guardian shall be here within the hour." With that he turned away and walked from the room, the others fallowing him. My blood turned to ice in my veins, my heart clenched tightly and felt as if it stopped. I couldn't think, nor could I breath. _They found him... they contacted him... oh God... I'm gonna die._

XXX

I clenched my eyes shut in fear as I sat in the idling car. My father sat beside me, his jaw clenched and fingers tight on the wheel. His knuckles white with the force of power being pressed upon the leather. Adrenaline was rushing through me, but I knew I would never make it; so I sat still in the silence of the car quivering at the knowledge of my coming demise. The ride was silent, but that changed once we pulled up to the scraggly house we called home. My father got out of the car and slammed the door, he ripped open my door and grabbed my arm painfully. Jerking me out, he pushed me toward the door.

"Go!" He snarled. Ducking my head submissively I stumbled feeling almost numb, but the fear still slashed through the blissful void. As I stumbled through the door, pain whipped across my back. A silent cry left my open lips as searing pain echoed down my pack in crippling waves. Collapsing to the ground I looked up to see my father with a whip. _How the hell did he get a bull whip!?_ I thought with strangled alarm. That whip came up above his head as he kicked the door closed. My whole body convulsed as the whip lashed across my face, the leather bringing burning fire across my chest. Rolling over I tried to crawl away from the insane man behind me. Slick red liquid dripped into my eyes, coated my hands, burning fire lashing across my entire body. Hungry for my demise and yet it wouldn't take me.

"Thought you could get away you little whore!" The leather whip, slick with my blood by now, lashed down my back. A silent scream left my lips as my back arched in agony. I tried to clamp my mouth shut against the pain, but not a moment later I convulsed yet again from a lash and bit my tongue. My canine teeth pierced the soft flesh of my tongue, blood rushing into my mouth. A hand gripped a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back; a piece of leather was winding around my throat. It was tight and suffocating, but sadly it wasn't tight enough to kill me. My hands scrabbled with the leather as soon as the hand released my hair.

A collar was tied around my neck. Tears well up in my eyes from humiliation. Those hands were suddenly back in my hair and dragging me up the stairs, chains clamped on my wrists and ankles weighing down my limbs. This room was devoid of a mattress, clothing, bathroom, or anything else a civilized human needed to live domestically, the only thing in here was a long metal pole bolted to the floor and ceiling. I stared up at the man with my good eye, my right one swollen and covered in the blood from the wound of the first whip lash. His foot suddenly collided with my side, my ribs cracking and snapping loudly like a gun shot. Blood poured from my mouth as I vomited from the agony.

"Don't look at me!" He screamed loudly, my eardrums reverberating with the sound. A sob made its way up my chest, pulling at my newly re-broken ribs. Hot tears dripped down my cheeks as cool metal from a blade suddenly pressed against my side, cutting through my baggy white shirt. My black tights followed suit. I was left clothed in only a bra and my underwear, shivering in fear and pain as the man grabbed my wrists and tied them to the pole with the chains clasped to my slender arms. I sat there on my knees, heart beating as quickly as a rabbit's in the face of a predator.

"You think you could get away? You think you can run from me?" I shook my head negatively, with dread coiling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly leather slashed across my already raw back. I arched in agony, my mouth open in a silent scream, blood trailing down my spine lazily as every slash pulsed with the beat of my heart.

"Answer me!" He roared. But I couldn't and he knew that.

"You're a whore just like your mother! I'll show you!" Cold dread spilled into me again, as I heard the whip clatter against the floor. A belt buckle clinking, my panties were ripped off as something pressed near my entrance. I squirmed in terror trying to get away. This man had stolen everything from me. _Not my innocence! No!_ Pain shot through me as he sheathed himself inside me, a silent cry left my lips as agonizing pain swept through me. He pumped his hips against me hissing things in my ear that I dare not repeat. The whole time he pinned me to the pole I wept, hot tears of shame, humiliation, anger, and fear. The tears coursed down my face in heavy rivers. Finally his hips jerked against mine one last time and he pulled away, leaving me there leaning against the pole. He left the room, slamming the door shut angrily.

I felt dirty, like an animal. I had been violated, and it wasn't something I was going to forget any time soon.

XXX

When I came to, I could hear loud groaning and panting from my father's room, laughter down stairs telling me he had his 'friends' over. No doubt there would be drugs, alcohol, and sex. I willed a whimper to escape my lips, but nothing came. Tears sprung in my eyes, but I blinked them away. Crying wouldn't help me, no one would, I would have to figure this out. I had to get away.

Yet a cruel inner voice whispered in my ears, telling me what logic dictated to be true. I just didn't want to believe it. ' _Where will you go, who will take you in? You are useless! You can't get away! You're too weak!'_ I knew it to be true, I just didn't want to face it... not yet. Not yet.

I rested my head against the pole, wishing for a bath to wash away the dirtiness I felt. _No amount of water could wash away my sins; they are ingrained; too deep to ever cleanse._ My heart beat in my ears, my pulse quick. I felt the need again. I shifted my wrists, the metal cut deep, drawing lines of pain and blood.

 _...Gently now._

 _….Not too fast._

I gently rubbed my wrists against the pole, the metal cutting deeper, slicing through the skin of my flesh. Blood dripped from my wrists and to the floor, I was in bliss. The pain always helped... even if only for a short time. The coolness of the pole brought me back from my pain induced high. I was alone in this room, bare to the world without even my torn bra and undies. Sleazy men were down stairs, my father was no doubt going to come back to further my 'punishment'. I was all alone in pain. This time I knew he wouldn't just kill me. He was going to make sure I suffered, make sure I died agonizingly slowly in misery and humiliation.

Looking up at the ceiling I grew angry. _Why was this happening, why? What did I ever do to deserve this!_ My father's words echoed through my mind making me flinch. My heart ached a little more; the chains cut a little deeper in response, but this time the blood and pain didn't take it away. ' _ **You were born.**_ ' his words echoed like a bat's sonar. They wouldn't go away, they haunted me. Tilting my head down, I rested my forehead against the pole. Desolation settled in my heart.

My thoughts turned to Blue. The man who had saved my life... only to send me back to hell. I couldn't blame him though; he didn't know what he was sending me back to. A part of me called out to him, wailed his name. I didn't know who he was, but somehow I knew he and his companions could save me. Only problem? I was all alone and they had no way of knowing what was going on. Tears blurred my vision as my shoulders shook. The thick salty tears dripped down my cheeks; dropped on my parted lips, my nose, and chin. They mixed with the blood, turning red. My fists clenched at the sound of foot steps coming up the stairs, several men talking and laughing loudly. I pulled and tugged at the chains, only succeeding in ripping into my own flesh. Blood dripped to the floor, but I didn't care. I would rather die then become a common whore. A brood mare. The door burst open and as the men came closer I screamed internally.

XXX

My eyes opening slowly, my right one swollen and useless. Bruises littered my body, pain pulsing all over my body. My womanhood sore from the major violation it had undertaken. A noise down stairs had me slamming back against the pole and covering my head. Terror coursed through me more intense than I could have imagined it ever being. I slowly shifted, but agony had me writhing on the floor. I pictured Blue's face. I knew he could help me! But then the image twisted into a look of disgust. My heart wrenched in incredible pain. I wasn't sure why, but the idea of that man looking at me like that had my heart ripping in two.

Looking up at the ceiling I wished for a quick demise, but I knew it wouldn't happen. Fate was cruel like that, she hated me. She loved punishing me. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my shaky hands around the pole and brought my knees up to my chest. Huddling against the cold metal I shivered feeling pathetic.

Opening my eyes I looked out the dusty and cracked window of the attic I saw a gray sports car slow down and slowly drive past. It looked like someone was looking for something. I could have sworn that I saw a flash of familiar gray blue hair in the vehicle, but pushed it out of my mind. _Even if that was Blue he wouldn't want to be near me, not with how dirty I am now._ Pain flared in my chest, the need cresting through me. I rubbed my raw wrists violently against the pole, the chains ripping and tearing into my flesh, but the heartache remained.


	4. Chapter 4

As time flew by and I could feel myself deteriorating. I hadn't had food or water in so long that my stomach stopped growling and my throat quit aching, it just remained dry. I couldn't squirm or fight anymore, so the men just had their fun while I lay there. Everything was so cold; I felt like I was in a vacuum, I couldn't breath, and couldn't move. Darkness was falling outside; the moon's light could barely filter through the grimy window. Coughing weakly I stared up at the ceiling, exhaustion making my thoughts fuzzy and yet I still couldn't sleep.

Car lights dimly lit up the window. The rumbling engines were practically shaking the windows. A knock sounded on the door downstairs, my father's voice snarling as he answered. A calm voice said something back, but my father's raised in crescendo until I could make out what he was saying.

"-Don't know who the fuck you are, but you'd better leave the premises right fucking now!" That calm voice echoed again, soft, but stern.

"We are looking for a young female by the name of Autumn Mondschein." The voice sounded as if he comanded respect, and I knew my father wasn't giving it.

"Yeah? Who wants ta know?" I turned my head and rested it against the bloody pole. Fire lanced up my side with my every breath, making it hard to concentrate on what was going on down stairs. I could hear a sound of a voice, they were worried. My father's screemed at them to get out, but I could hear foot falls clomping up the stairs. The door to the room I was in reverberated with the force of the being behind it. Fear raced through my heart, adrenaline coursed through my veins like ice, but I knew I couldn't do anything against these people. I was to weak.

The door reverberated again before something slamed it off the hinges. The tall brute from the hospital stomped in, his heavy boots clomping on the floor, thick dark charcoal black hair standing up in spikes. Those rolling muscles clenched in anger, his neon blue eyes locked on me. I flinched at the look, quickly averting my gaze and shaking in terror because of what I just _knew_ was to come. I could hear my father yell out in agony as he crashed into something.

Those heavy duty boots clomped towards me, my heart beat faster, terror racing through me. _Oh no, please, have mercy!_ I wanted to scream, but it wouldn't come out. I knew that terror was written all over my face, but there was nothing I could do about it. He reached toward me and suddenly I could hear the sound of clanking chains snapping in half. The shackles from my wrists fell to the floor uselessly. He moved behind me and broke the ones on my ankles. Strong burly arms slid under my body, lifting me easily. I flinched at the close contact, blood rushing in my ears. A familiar mop of blue gray hair entered my view. Blue stood on the stairs, his wide neon blue eyes filled with anger and disgust. I could feel my heart clench and suddenly shatter within my chest. As the brute took me down the stairs and toward the others I could hear a very creative cursing to my left.

"Slagging glitched out mother board! Frag it all to the pit and back!" Looking towards the source of the cursing, I found Ryan storming toward me.

"Iro-Jason, put her in the back of my hummer." He snarled. For a second I didn't comprehend the slip up, my eyes narrowed weakly as I was carried away. The beating heart under all the muscle was surprisingly calming to my nerves, as I rested my head against the thick corded chest of 'Jason'. I didn't know this man, but I somehow got the feeling that he would protect me.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the beating heart of the gruff man that carried me. I felt myself being placed down on a cot, before being covered with a soft and very warm blanket. Looking around I found myself in the back of an ambulance. I looked up into the man's neon blue eyes, they held a hardened look to them and yet when I stared into them I could see a kind of hidden kindness. He turned probably intending to leave, but I lashed out and grabbed his wrist. It was a weak hold, one he could no doubt break easily. He glanced back at me and slowly sat down beside me, I lessened my grip and let my head fall back with a thump.

My breaths were shallow and painful. A large hand brushed my bangs from my face, a gruff voice I didn't recognise spoke up. Opening my eyes I looked at the man feeling comforted for some strange reason.

"We'll get ya back to base youngling. You'll be safe there." I closed my eyes and let myself succumb to the dark void.

XXX

When I awoke again I found myself on a medical bed in an isolated room. _Of course._ I despised hospitals, but I couldn't blame the man for taking me to one. They did save me, so I would try not to be too spiteful. The man, Ryan, entered the room suddenly. His deep blue eyes were intense.

"I've got good news and bad news for you Miss. Mondschein." I grimaced wanting to tell him to call me just 'Autumn', but... well I couldn't, so I just nodded for him to continue.

"The good news is that a majority of your injuries will heal. I also have discerned the exact problem to your vocal processor. Fortunately for you, I can repair that damage." My deep brown eyes widened. _I would be able to speak! Wait he said bad news too... please don't tell me there's a draw back! I want to sing, to speak again; to hear my own voice after so many years._ The sound of a heavy sigh had me looking up at his irridescent blue eyes. I swallowed nervously as he grabbed a rolling chair from the desk in the room. Straddeling it, he folded his arms on the back and drilled his eyes into mine.

"The trauma you have sustened was substantial... I am very sorry to say that you will probably never be able to bear children." I could feel my heart grow heavy at the thought. Nodding to Ryan I looked down and closed my eyes. A soft sigh filtered from my nostrils as I tried to forget the men's faces. Their laughter, and the pain. _At least I will never be able to bring a child into this world. I don't want them to suffer the same things that I have. I'll be sparing another soul. It would be one less innocent person who would endure what I had suffered._ The door clicked softly, and when I looked up I found myself alone in the room.

XXX

Ryan was off getting his supplies ready as I sat on the opperation table. After this opperation and the two week healing period, I would _finally_ be able to speak! At least that's what Dr. Achet told me. I swallowed nervously as Ryan entered the room. He was silent as he placed his tools down with a clang, a flinch wracked my body. A pole holdng two different bags of fluids were placed beside my bed. He grabbed my arm and gently pushed the IV into the vien in my hand after swabbing it with an alcohol pad. Taping it down he hooked the two bags to a single tube and connected them to the IV in hand.

"This drip contains H2O to keep you hidrated along with a narcotic to knock you out." I nodded, already feeling the drowsiness from the drug. The world around spun in a sea of colors, a vortex of light. Hands grabbed me as I toppeled off the bed, weightlessness settled over me and then everything went dark.

 **Ratchet's POV**

The drug worked surprisingly well. It was one of my own concoctions. The femmeling had fallen off of the bed. Her muscles no longer responding as the drug paralyzed her and began to put her under. Picking her up before she could hit the floor, I placed her on the bed and got her settled into a comfortable position.

My holoform's optics narrowed at the thin scar on her neck. My scans have told me that at one point in her life cycle someone had slit her throat. They had failed to offline her, but they managed to slice an important part of her vocal processor. This had effectitively rendered her mute. The door opened and Optimus walked in, his holoform's optics filled with concern.

"How is she?" He rumbled. Glancing at him I picked up a scalpal and gently made an incision in the femme's throat.

"She's fine. Stable physically, but emotionally..." Optimus nodded in understanding. It was left unsaid, but he understood what was being said. "Emotionally, she is exceedingly fragile." I forced my focus off of Optimus and onto the femme as I gently opened her throat, the old slice in her vocal processor was quite obvious. Taking the split ends of the vocal cords, I gently pulled them back together and held them in that position. Reaching over towards the table I grabbed a small vial of nanites.

"Here, make yourself useful and open this." Optimus took the vial from my servo and opened it. Taking it back from him I tilted it and poured the transparent buit still silvery liquid over her vocal cords. My keen optics could see the microscopic nanites immediately getting to work. The vocal cords beneath my fingers slowly reatached themselves together, only when they were held together enough did I retract my hand. Tilting the nanites again, poured them over the open flesh of her throat, her skin immediately began to pull back together. Strands of it flicking out and reaching to the other side, inching the sliced flesh closer together. Within a few moments a red line remained where the open flesh had once been.

"You are sure this will work Ratchet?" Optimus questioned from my side. I heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Yes, I am quite certain. Within a week she will be speaking again." Optimus left my side and walked out of the make shift human med bay. I scanned her once more to make sure she was stable, nodding to myself I attached a small little device to her index finger. The device would send me results of her vitals every thirty minutes or so, and if there was a drastic change it would let me know immediatly. I cleaned up my supplies and took the narcotic out of the IV, although I made sure that the H2O remained, and left her to rest.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I couldn't help but to notice how fragile she was, her frame was so tiny and frail. Ratchet said she was suffering from malnourishment, dehydration, and severe signs of both neglect and abuse. Anger swelled up in my spark at that. I usually try to refrain from being aggressive, but something about this small human femme brought out my protective side. If only my brothers Smokescreen and Prowl were here, they would be able to give me advice. I curled my holoform's digits gently around her small fleshy servo; making sure to mind the IV in her energon line.

It disgusted me to remember what that mech, who dared to have the neuro receptors to call himself her creator, had done to her. The image of her tied up once again flashed through my processor, the whole scene as vivid as if I were still there.

 _Driving up to the run down house I had passed earlier I pulled to a stop at the curb. The others drove up behind me and parked along the street strategically. All of us activated our holoform's and had them step out. Optimus walked to stand by my shoulder and look at the beige run down home unit._

" _And you are sure, Bluestreak, that this is where you picked up young Autumn's bio signature?" I simply nodded to my leader._

" _Yeah, I'm sure this is where I picked it up. Although when I drove past I heard odd noises and could pick up on odd chemical substances. I wonder what's going on." I said quietly, trying not to ramble. Stepping over the curb my holoform walked up to the door. Brushing my gray-blue hair from my optics I rapped on the door. A mech answered, and let me tell you he was not what I was expecting. I thought caretakers were supposed to take better care of their home... and themselves. The mech before me was haggard; with unkempt facial fur, oily fur a top his head, and a rancid smell that coated his frame. It was the scent of high grade, unmistakable no matter from where it was made. Before I could speak Optimus moved to my side and spoke calmly to the mech._

" _Good afternoon. May we come in?" The mech's lips curled toward Optimus and he snarled loudly._

" _I don't know who the fuck you are, but you better leave the premises now!" Despite the mech's tone and words, Prime remained calm._

" _We are looking for a young female by the name of Autumn_ _Mondschein,_ _"_ _The mech turned silent, almost contemplative._

" _Yeah, who wants ta know?_ _"_ _The man bit out in a growl. Ironhide suddenly leaned foward, his optics narrowing._

" _You reek of fresh energon._ _"_ _Suddenly he slammed past the man, who shreiked shrilly at us to get out. Ironhide's heavy boots thumped across the rotting wood of the floor boards as he made his way quickly to the stairs. I wondered how he knew where to go, but when I looked down I realized why. Human energon coated the floor in crusted trails. Nausea swept through my real form, my holoform no doubt turning a greenish tone._

 _We walked down a hall, the mech down stairs yelling and screaming at Optimus and Jazz. Ratchet and I walked side by side as we followed behind Ironhide. I had no idea why he wasn't with Optimus seeing as he was his body guard, but I had a pretty good idea. Ironhide was a caretaker, guardian, and a protector to those that needed protecting and help. So no doubt the blood and stench of fear in the air trigured his protocols. I halted in the middle of the hall, there at the end of the coridor stood a locked door. At the foot of the chained door was the end of the energon trail._

 _Anger burned through me when I scanned the fresh energon there and found the bio signals to match exatly to Autumn's. Ironhide walked forward and silently broke the chains on the door, grabbing the handle he jiggled it. The whole door frame shook, but didn't open. I saw his neon blue eyes narrow dangerously; pressing his huge shoulder to the door and shoving, the door still didn't budge. A snarl left his lips, an animalistic look appeared on his holform's face._ _Backing up, he lifted his left leg and thrust it forward. The whole entire door flew inward, splinters of wood flying everywhere, the hinges coming loose and shattering._

 _When I looked into the room I felt myself go numb with the shear disgust and anger in my gaze. There in the middle of that room sat Autumn, wearing absolutely nothing; with her shredded under garments lying on the floor nearby. Blood caked her legs, whip marks lashing deeply into her flesh. Bruises covered her from helm to pede, but the worst part was the broken, listless, and forlorn look in her optics. It made my spark clench. I kept my gaze on her as Ironhide stormed in and snapped all of the chains, sliding his arms under her he picked her up and moved out the door._

" _Slagging glitched out mother board! Frag it all to the pit and back!_ _"_ _I looked towards the source of the yelling to see Ratchet stalking over._

" _Iro-Jason, put her in the back of my hummer._ _"_ _His voice was a low snarl. I winced at the tones of it, but looking upon my femme I could sympethise with Ratchet._ Wait... my femme? _As Ironhide clommped down the stairs with her I was left with Ratchet. We were both silent, anger seeping in the air around us. Glancing at each other we nodded. That mech would pay._

 _Walking down the stairs I moved ahead of Ratchet and before either Optimus or Jazz could grab me I back handed the human mech. His whole frame spun and slammed into the glass cabinets. Storming over to him I grabbed his shirt and pulled him up, bringing back my holoform's arm I slugged him right across the face. I dropped him to the floor and kicked him in the ribs, a sickening crack could be heard. Suddenly iron arms locked around mine and when I looked up I found Optimus looking at me with a dissapointed expression, Jazz drug me out the door. I could hear Ratchet snort disdainfully to the mech before following us out into the late afternoon sunshine._

I shook myself from the memory loop and looked down upon the fragile sleeping frame. Reaching forward, I hesitantly shifted her soft black bangs away from her face. I couldn't resist running my holoform's hands through her silky charcoal fur, it was just so soft. A sleepy sigh left her frame making me go still. Looking down at her I waited a couple of seconds, when she didn't wake I gently contiued the stroking of her cranial fur. My eyes were drawn to her features and for the first time I took in the full lips, pale skin, thick full lashes, and overly thin frame. The sound of her sparkbeat was like music to my sensitive holoform's audio receptors. _Why does she make my spark jump like that?_ I was confused as to why my spark sputtered and raced around her. I had known her for only a short time span, and yet there was something about her that drew me in.

Sighing, I leaned forward and tentively touched her cheek. Tracing my digits down her slim jaw I touched her throat. My eyes narrowed at the faint slash there, that wasn't from Ratchet. A growl made its way up through my chassis unbiden. _Primus... this femme is making me tempermental._ Suddenly her optics flashed open. I couldn't avert my gaze from her own, her brown orbs held my own fast.

XXX

I was startled awake to the feeling of gentle hands running through my hair. A soft sigh escaped my lips sleepily at the sensation. It was a feeling that I missed greatly. A soft touch gently stroked my cheek, I stayed perfectly still, content to be petted and touched. It was a feeling of gentleness, and love. It was something I had craved and missed for many a year. The soft touch moved to my throat, a growl permeated the air. I couldn't take it anymore. That growl... it brought back a lot of memories I didn't want, and couldn't stand having.

My eyes flashed open and I stared into the startled iridescent blue eyes of the man who had found me twice now. Found me and saved me. His gray-blue hair hung in his face, so silky and with the faintest glimmer of silver in it. I suddenly wanted to touch his hair, but I held myself back. The spell was broken once I blinked. Looking up at him, I watched him lean back and smile softly to me.

"I'm glad you finally woke up. I was beginninng to think you never would." Slowly I tried to sit up, my arms shook and gave out. Strong slipped under my arm pits, before lifting me carefully. Suddenly I was sitting up, propped against a lot of very soft pillows. Blue was still hovering over me, lurking like some cat who had spotted a feeble but fat and juicy mouse. I couldn't help but cring away from him, and my taped up, but still broken ribs shot a lot of fresh pain through my torso.

"Hey careful, careful. You have to be careful. You're awake now, but you still have a lot of damage to deal with. Don't try to move around a whole lot. I can see that you're scared of me for some reason, but you don't need to be. I would never hurt you. You've been hurt more than enough already, and I really wish it hadn't happened. Are you feeling any better?" He asked me while sounding worried.

I nodded my head as a soft blush swept across my features, I wasn't used to being touched... not by friendly or loving touches anyways. I was sure that he had good intentions, but I couldn't help but to be tense and wary.

"I'm so sorry you got stuck with that mech, is he the reason I found you in the woods? Cause if it is, I'll go back and personally offline him for you! I slagged him up pretty good for you too!" I blinked in confusion, his word usuage was odd, but I got the basic meaning. I nodded to tell him it was. I knew I probably couldn't talk yet, but my throat was very itchy. I only got itchy when I was healing. A faint smile pulled at my lips as I leaned back into Bluestreak.

"Oh! while you were in recharge, we got some legal stuff worked out! So now you can stay here on base! Isn't that great!" _Wow!I can see that he's easily excitable._ I found though, that as he continued to talk I actually relaxed a bit. His idle chatter was surprisingly quite soothing. I closed my eyes and leaned close to him. I was close enough that I could hear his heart thumping calmly despite his excited tones. A soft humming permeated the air around us as those gentle hands siftedstarted sifting through my hair. Sighing contentedly, I fell alseep.


	5. Chapter 5

A week had gone by since those men had saved me, during that time I found myself mostly in Blue's company. He was surprisingly funny, always having stories and jokes to tell me. Yesterday I actually _laughed_! _I laughed_! I was so giddy that a sound came out from me, even Blue seemed excited.

But that had been a week ago. I hadn't seen Blue or Ryan. Nervousness crept into my heart during the time of their absence. Looking around the room, the four gray walls closing in, I closed my eyes and slowly hummed 'Lies' by Evanescence. It was still so weird hearing my own voice after so long, but it was a very welcome change in my life. Closing my eyes I focused on my vocal cords, feeling the gentle rhythm of them moving in my throat as I continued humming. _God it's been so long..._ A soft smile graced my features as the lyrics flowed into my mind as if it was natural.

 _Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear  
Sealed with lies through so many tears  
Lost from within, pursuing the end  
I fight for the chance to be lied to again_

 _You will never be strong enough  
You will never be good enough  
You were never conceived in love  
You will not rise above_

 _[Chorus:]  
They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me_

 _But through my tears breaks a blinding light  
Birthing a dawn to this endless night  
Arms outstretched, awaiting me  
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree_

 _Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you_

 _[Chorus]  
[Chorus]_

 _Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you_

 _[Chorus]_

When I opened my eyes I nearly jumped out of my skin. There sitting before me was Blue. My racing heart felt as if it were trying to beat its way out of my chest. My breaths were quick and shallow as I stared into those iridescent blue eyes that always captured my own. I stared captivated as he leaned closer, a grin on his full lips.

"My, my, no one told me you that you could hum like that, or that you had such a beautiful voice." He winked playfully.

 _Oh. My. God. Is he flirting with me?!_ Blinking I hesitantly forced my lips to move. It was still hard for me to form sentences.

"No... one... has heard... me hum... or talk... in.. a long time." I finally managed. His blue eyes softened as he leaned forward, his breath fanning over my lips. I froze like a deer in the headlights; he was so close. His nose gently brushed against mine as a grin graced his features.

"Well now I have! And we can actually have a conversation!"

I grinned and giggled softly. Reaching out, he ran a hand through my mousy hair surprising me. I grimaced and pulled back.

"My... hair is oily. Don't touch it." It was pleasing to me that my voice started coming back together and sounding less like a broken robot. He flashed an overly bright smile making me blush.

"I think you look gorgeous! I don't see anything wrong with you." I ducked my head in embarrassment. Soft laughter echoed above me, looking up into his eyes he flashed me another pearly white smile. Leaning back in the chair, he crossed his right leg over his left and flexed his arms over the back of the chair.

"I want to thank-you." He tilted his head suddenly, soft silky blue hair falling into his eyes. The strong outline of his jaw more pronounced from the angle of the light on his face. _Oh my God... he is adorable._

"What for?" I could feel heat practically radiating from my face as he leaned close, his hand sweeping my bangs from my face. I was sure my face was probably blazing crimson by now.

"W-well... y-you... s-saved me... twice. S-so t-thank-you." Suddenly he leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek against mine, his strong arms wrapped around my waist. His lips brushed my ear as he murmured gently. At that moment I could feel my heart flutter and stall, it was one of those moments where you get an epiphany. I didn't know much about this man, but I was absolutely sure of one thing: He would take care of me.

A faint smile curved my lips as I cuddled into his side when he moved to sit beside me. It was strange because it felt so right. It was still very weird though, because usually when someone touched me, it was always to cause me pain. I couldn't believe that I was doing this… _especially_ without being forced to do it. A soft sigh left my lips as exhaustion hit me again; curling into him I rested my head against his chest and fell asleep.

XXX

When I awoke again I found myself tucked into the hospital bed, the blankets curled around me like a cocoon. Rolling my head to the side I blinked sleepily in surprise. Blue sat slumped in the chair beside the bed, his head drooped as he slept. A faint snoring sound coming from his lips, his face peaceful and young looking; framed by soft shiny gray-blue hair. I sat up slowly, hair trailing down my shoulders much longer than I remembered it.

 _Note to self: cut hair._ Smiling softly I leaned forward and gently guided his body to slump against the bed, pushing a pillow under his head. _There, at least now he won't have a kink in his neck._ Reaching out I brushed the soft shimmering blue hair from his face. A tender mothering side I had forgotten about coming out. I had locked it away so long ago; I had realized that if I was to survive I couldn't care about anyone but myself... now however, it seemed that wasn't the case.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and retracted my hand. A warmth enveloped it and jerked it back down. Gasping I quickly opened my eyes and looked at him, he hadn't woken up, only reacted in his sleep. A gentle smile graced my features uneasily. _You're getting too close! You know what happens when you get too close!_ My inner voice screamed at me. Grimacing, I pulled my hand back, my eyes on his peaceful face. _I just want to be close to someone... but you're right. I'll only get hurt._ My eyes narrowed as I pulled away completely.

The sound of a door opening caught my attention. Looking up I saw Ryan, Jason and the two other men that had been at my house. Ryan walked over and gave me a wan smile.

"I see you're up. Blue hasn't left your side since you fell asleep." I looked down and nodded, my eyes tracing over his slumbering features. A soft cough had me looking up. The dark skinned man beside Jason gave me a grin. I flushed realizing I had been practically checking Blue out.

"I do not believe you have met Ian, or Orion." _Orion... isn't that a star constellation?_ I shook my head and looked them over curiously. Ian was the dark skinned man with the dread locks. His eyes were covered by a pair of black visor like sunglasses. Strong lean muscles showed through a tight fitting white shirt and ripped blue jeans. He flashed me a grin that made my heart hammer. Glancing to the other man, Orion, I noticed his hair was a deep black almost blue.

His eyes were neon blue like the others. They held a tender gentleness to them, but also a stern look that commanded respect. Blinking curiously I glanced back to Ryan, not comfortable to speak around them yet. Blue I felt comfortable to speak to, but only because he had saved my life twice; and he didn't pry for answers that he had without a doubt questions for. A loud sigh emitted from Ryan as he dipped his head to me.

"I just wished to check on you, Miss Mondschein." I tried not to scowl at his back as he turned and left. The other two men walking after him. Although it was unnerving to me that Orion stayed. His gentle blue eyes held my own as he walked over. Thick almost sapphire hair wavy and practically swaying with his every step. Stopping before my bed he spoke quietly, in a deep baritone voice that calmed my racing heart.

"You are safe here Miss Mondschein. You have no reason to fear us." With that he turned and left the room, my hand resting over my heart. _Holy shit, is that man a mind reader?_ Shivering at the thought I shook my head and lay back down. Reaching out hesitantly toward Blue's face, my fingers gently brushed his cheek. Biting my lip I pulled my hand away and rolled onto my side. Sighing I stared at the wall in front of me, falling into a daze; and later, sleep.

XXX

Blue's hand was firm around my wrist as he led me out of the makeshift hospital room. I personally was not ready to be around other people, in a selfish way I only wanted to be around Blue. I wasn't sure why, I just felt safe that way.

"Come on Autumn, it's not that bad! Besides you have me around you don't you! Oh yeah, I heard your last name was German, can you speak any German? If you can, you can tell me something in it! I'm always curious about other languages-" His rambling made me dizzy and disoriented most of the time. It was moments like this that I wondered how he seemed so serious and quiet at other times.

As he drug me towards the door I clawed at his wrist. I _really_ did not want to go out there! There were full grown men out there! Did he not understand that me plus men equaled a lot of pain for me? Unintentionally I spoke in German. It was my first language, the one my momma taught me before she died. It was what I mostly spoke before my voice had been stolen.

"Niene! Ich will nicht zu gehen! Sie können mich nicht zwingen!" (No! I do not want to go! You can not make me!) I screamed loudly at him. My hands dug at his wrists drawing long lines. Suddenly the door banged open and a boy I didn't know rushed to my side. His eyes were electric blue that contradicted his bright blond hair. Black streeks swept through his thick hair, reminding me of a bumblebee. His hands swept between Blue's and mine, effectively breaking the hold. Blue's rambling cut off as he blinked in surprise and looked at us. The new guy stepped in front of me and frowned.

"Blue, why didn't you listen to the femme when she said she said she didn't want to go?" He didn't sound accusitory, only curious and semi worried. Blue blinked and looked at me.

"Rat- _Ryan_ said to get her some fresh air. That's what I was doing Mike."Looking him over I could only smile and giggle. _He's kinda cute..._ Wincing I rubbed my aching wrists, man did Blue have an iron grip.

"Well she obviously didn't want to go for some reason or another." Mike looked down at me and gently touched my wrists.

"Are you alright Autumn?" I jumped in surprise and looked up at him.

"Wie Sie wissen meinen Namen?" (How do you know my name). He blinked and gave me an utterly confused look, it was quite adorable.

"Pardon? Uh... I don't understand." Blinking I blushed and realized I was still speaking in German.

"How do you know my name?" I corrected myself. He flashed me a bright smile that seemed so full of innocence I just wanted to say 'Awww'... and embaressingly I did. Blue started laughing while Mike only grinned wider. I ducked my head and looked up impishly.

"The guys talk about you a lot, mainly Ryan going on about your injuries." I nodded and glanced at Blue.

"Can I go back into my room now? I really don't like being around a lot of people... it's not safe." I didn't bother even waiting on his answer. Instead I turned and made to go back into my room, only to have a yellow and black shirt sleeve in my face. Pausing, my gaze followed the sleeve up to the owner: Mike.

"Fresh air would be a really good idea, you've been in there way too long. Come on, Blue and I will walk with you, and we'll make sure that no one bothers you." I looked between the both of them before crossing my arms.

"You really shouldn't worry because you're safe with us, really!"

Mike's earnest gaze won me over. Sighing in defeat I nodded my head and let them walk me out of the medical wing. As we walked down the empty hallway I glanced around nervously. I could hear the men, but I couldn't _see_ them, and that was making me anxious. Suddenly a pair of arms slipped through each of mine. Looking up sharply I found Blue and Mike both gently holding on to one of my arms like a gentlemen would. A blush caressed my cheeks. Smiling softly and emitting a soft giggle, I gave them an appreciative look.

"Thanks." I murmured. A soft squeeze to both of my arms was my answer. Smiling softly we suddenly came out of the medical wing and my smile slipped from my face. The halls were crowded with military men, voices echoing with laughter, orders and conversations. My whole body started trembling as I looked around the cooridors, everything seemed to sway and blend together in a madly swirling vortex. A voice called somewhere to my left, then above me. Two pairs of irridescent blue eyes looked down on me, worry straining the features of the faces.

When everything cleared I found myself lying on the ground, my head resting on Blue's leg, while Mike sat beside me. His friendly bright blue eyes lit up when he noticed I was awake. It was about that time that I noticed two men towering over me. One was dark skinned with equally dark eyes, although his smile was bright and michevious, a name tag on his uniform said, Sgt. Epps. The other man was tan with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. His uniform was dusty like Epps, although at the same time somehow prestine. His name tag designated him Major Lennox. The darker skinned man, Epps, grinned and threw his hands in the air.

"She lives!"

The Major gave him a wry look before looking at me with an almost fatherly expression.

"Are you alright?"

I was frozen unable to breathe. The men's faces kept shifting to my father's and the other men of _that_ first night. Blinking and swallowing the lump of fear in my throat, I managed to nod to the two men. _T-they aren't my father... h-he's not here... I-I'm safe._ I kept trying to tell myself this, but it sounded more like an uncertain question in my head than rational comforting thoughts. Lennox extended his hand to me to help me up. Flinching back, I found my back slamming into a firm toned abdomen. A squeak left my lips as I tilted my head back, Blue's neon blue eyes drilled into my own.

His hands slipped under my arms and hauled me to my feet easily, as if I weighed nothing more than a feather. Blinking, I looked up at Lennox and Epps quietly, a flush burned my face. Ducking my head I muttered an appology to Lennox. Turning I walked half way down the cooridor, looking into my peripheral vision I found Mike and Blue beside me. No questions asked,they were just there. Watching over me; protecting me. It was an odd feeling to me, but nice. I could already tell that Mike, Blue and I were going to be close friends.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Khalthar's Notes: I tend to like longer chapters… and the original story didn't have that. So I am combining some of the shorter chapters into one longer one. In many cases the original story had some chapters as short as 1,400 words, so the next chapter will be added to it so that the result is between 2,500 and 3,500 words. It will mean fewer chapter, but I can promise that this story will have just as many, if not more, words as the original, and it will be just as good.**_

Stretching out slowly I sat up in the hospital bed. Today would be the last day that I was stuck in the makeshift hospital room. Ryan was giving me permission to move about freely, granted it was only as long as I took Blue or Mike with me and I came in for a check up once every couple of days.

A smile made its way to my face as I sat up slowly, my long dark hair falling in my face haphazardly. _I really need to cut my hair..._ I thought with irritation. Blowing the thick bangs from my face they only swept back into my eyes. _Yeah... definitely need to cut it._ Standing up I groaned as snaps and pops resounded from my body. Looking around the room I let out a sigh, after today I would be relatively free.

Although the issue of my father kept coming back to my mind, and scaring me almost senseless, Blue had made it quite clear that he would not allow that man to touch me ever again, but then I knew that I couldn't stay here forever. My father would come looking for me... what would I do then? I closed my eyes as the beginning of a panic attack set in, taking in deep breaths I tried not to concentrate on what had me going into a fit.

Instead I concentrated on the slow expansion of my rib cage, the breath slowly leaving my mouth, being sucked in through my nose. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard the door opening, but I paid it no heed. Finally after what felt like forever I calmed down enough to open my eyes. I jumped when I noticed Blue sitting on the chair across from the bed. His blue eyes were lit up with worry.

"Are you alright… you don't look so good." He murmured slowly while leaning forward and tentatively taking my small hands in his larger ones. A faint smile curved my lips as I looked up at Blue.

"I'm fine... just thinking." His neon blue eyes searched my face silently, the intensity making me nervous. _What's he trying to find?_ I wondered not for the first time. The feeling of his thumbs gently sliding over my hands startled me, I still wasn't used to touched in a friendly way. It was so foreign, the feel of his hands. They were so warm and comforting, so gentle, and yet I could feel the power in them.

"Wanna talk about it? I can listen to whatever you have to say, you know? I mean... I know I talk a lot, but I'm a great listener if you need it!" He quickly rambled out, his big blue eyes so full of concern. A soft look contoured my face as I leaned my forehead against his shoulder.

"I... I'd rather not." I muttered against his shoulder. After a moment warm lips pressed to my temple, those soft yet powerful hands wrapped around me protectively.

"Well I'm here if you need me."

My hands curled into his clothing at those words. I felt as if a thousand pounds had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. Proof sat before me. Next to me. Holding me. Proof that someone cared, someone in this cruel world was willing to take care of me. A sigh left my lips as I burrowed into his strong body.

The feel of his lean muscles flexing was soothing, the next thing I knew a pillow was being placed behind my head and I was lying down half awake. A warm blanket was pulled over me as warm lips every so gently brushed over my temple. Darkness enveloped my vision as I fell asleep.

XXX

The next time I awoke I found myself in an unknown room. Looking around I saw plain white walls, a cream carpeted floor, a single window on the far right wall and an oak dresser. Pushing the soft woolen blankets off of myself I stood up and took a cursory look around. I had my own bathroom, closet, and small bedroom. There was only one bed which I had been sleeping in, so all this was for one person _So this must be my new room... but how did I get here?_

Walking over to the window I pushed the soft emerald curtains out of the way, the darkness of night prevented me from seeing much. Sighing softly I made my way over to my bed and sat down, the soft glow of the bed side lamp casting a warm honey colored light across the room. A soft knock at my door jostled me from my thoughts. Jumping, I stood up tentatively. Walking over to the door I opened it to see Blue. His soft blue-gray hair hung in his neon blue eyes as usual. The bright smile I had come to know, adorned his soft lips. Realizing I was staring I turned my gaze away, my face feeling hot with embarrassment.

"Are you alright" He questioned anxiously.

Glancing up through my red streaked black bangs I felt my blush grow. I wasn't quite sure why, but a part of me was deeply attracted to him. Nodding, I cleared my throat and moved to the side. As he walked past me I felt his fingers ghost over my shoulder and through my hair. A soothing touch that relaxed me even though it was barely there. Sucking in a deep breath I closed the door and turned to face Blue. He stood in the middle of the room observing everything. Finally he turned around and looked at me with those unnaturally bright blue eyes.

"You have nice quarters. I just wanted to be sure you were being treated nicely. At least now I can rest in peace knowing that you're safe." My gaze softened once I deciphered his rambling, although a healthy amount of skepticism remained.

"You were worried... about _me_?" I murmured softly, not believing it for a second. I mean, sure he seemed nice... but how was I to be sure that he wasn't just gonna break my trust like everyone else? The way he looked at me after those words came out of my mouth... it made me wanna curl up and die. His eyes were so sad, and yet they held such anger and remorse.

"I know you don't trust me, not yet. You will in time. At least I hope you will! I'm not saying you have to, pit knows I can't force you, but I would like it if you trusted me, but I know that only time can heal those wounds."

Silence greeted his monologue. I didn't know what to say or do. This man seemed _intent_ on gaining my trust. Narrowing my eyes I stared at him long and hard. _What is he getting at? Why does he want my trust so bad?_ Grimacing at my more paranoid side I shook my head. Walking past him I plopped down on my bed and looked up at him. His blue eyes locked onto my earthen brown.

"Prove it." I said quietly. My voice barely more than a whisper of breath. He blinked in surprise and stared at me as if confused.

"What?" For once he seemed to have no monologue ready for my question. Sighing, I rested my cheek on my fist and stared up at him tiredly.

"Prove to me that I can trust you." I said quietly. My voice held nothing but challenge to it. I didn't want to be cruel, but I had been hurt for too long and far too many times in my life to trust easily. If this man wanted my trust or affection, or whatever it was he was after, he would have to earn it.

XXX

I stared into the mirror of my bathroom silently, the sight of my ripped blue jeans and baggy black hoody was the only normal thing in my life. As of right now I was living on a military base by myself. Well not by myself, _myself_ , but without any familiar faces. Sighing softly I swept my charcoal hair out of my face, the crimson streaks glinting in the light like blood. A sudden ache filled my chest and swamped me in an overwhelming sea of blue depression.

Rolling up the sleeve of my jacket I stared at my scarred wrist; scowling, I pulled out my trusty razor blade and carefully sliced three delicate lines over my wrist. Blissful releasing pain shot through my arm, my life blood slowly beaded up and dripped into the sink. I could feel the heartache receding as my blood drained in to the sink. Satisfied, I pulled my sleeve down and walked out of the bathroom and into my living room of sorts. Opening the door slowly I tried to quell my rising fear. People swarmed the hallways; their eyes seemed to be judging me, studying me. It was too much.

Slamming the door closed I turned and placed my back against it, the cool wood against my quivering palms. My pulse rose and made my vision swim in a sea of black dots. My breaths were quick and shallow in my panic attack. The sudden knocking on my door startled me; turning with a loud squeak I tumbled backwards and placed my hand on my chest. The door suddenly slammed opened and there stood the huge and burly man, Jason. His eyes landed on me and narrowed dangerously. Flinching back I tried to hold back a pitiful whine, his neon blue eyes holding a deadly gleam that scared me to no end.

Suddenly a familiar mop of blue-gray hair appeared beside me. Looking up into Blue's neon blue eyes, I felt myself relax slightly. I wasn't ready to trust him and yet I was. He caused confusing feelings to rise up within me.

"You alright? We heard a thump and your squeal! I thought you were hurt! I mean, I was just worried. I didn't mean to barge in here with Hi-Jason, but you had us worried!" Blue rambled out.

I narrowed my eyes at that that was the second time someone had messed up on Jason's name. Sighing I nodded to Blue quietly.

"Y-yeah I'm fine... I w-was just startled." I muttered while looking up through my bangs at Jason and Blue nervously. I saw Blue nod and smile reassuringly.

"Well, we were-" Before he could even get the sentence out Jason cut in with his deep rumbling voice.

"You need to refuel. Come on." He rumbled in that voice that mimicked the rolling thunder of an approaching storm. I slowly stood up, deciding that this man was not one to ignore.

XXX

When we entered the cafeteria I found it was very quiet at the moment, which was surprising considering that we were on a military base. Looking around at the minimal populace in the room I slowly inched in. The familiar presence of Blue at my side, and the looming protective shadow of Jason behind me, soothed nerves I hadn't realized were raw.

Looking around warily, I glanced back at Blue and Jason before walking over the threshold. The many conversations fell silent as I walked in, wrapping my arms around myself I ducked my head and slowly walked to a table in silence. My face felt hot in my embarrassment, my body quivering under the intense stares that followed me. Plopping down at a table, I buried my face in my arms not wanting to look up at the people in the room.

The scent of something salty and intense wafted up to my nose. With a gurgling growl from my abdomen and saliva building up in my mouth I looked up to see a bowl of steaming white rice covered in brown gravy and cubed pieces of beef. Blinking I looked up in confusion to see Jason.

"Ryan wants you to eat."

I nodded slowly but sat still not wanting to move under his intense gaze. Blue came forward and plopped beside me, his warm hand rubbing my tense shoulders. I flinched having not realized how tense I was, nor having noticed him move. I kept my gaze down, but after a few tense moments, I felt the presence of Jason move away. Looking around I found only the small population, which was dwindling mind you, and Blue. He sat beside me patiently, while I finally managed to force my limbs to move. I was in a daze of sorts while I quickly ate the food. Once it was gone, Blue gently took my arm and led me from the room.

I tried to hold back a wince as his firm grip caught my fresh cuts. Holding back the grunt of pain that wished to escape my lips I obediently followed behind Blue. Once we got to the main hanger my nerves were officially frayed. Luckily for me, my depressive daze kept me from freaking out at the many people practically all over me. _I'm getting way to paranoid..._ I thought dismally.

Shaking my head I looked around in awe at the giant cat-walks, computers, and many military personal flowing back and forth. Turning slowly in a wide circle I looked around at all of the commotion. Dimly I felt Blue let go of my wrist and move away some. Turning back around I looked at Blue with wide eyes.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed softly feeling an old sense of curiosity fill me. I hadn't been adventurous or curious in a long time... it was refreshing. The next thing I knew I heard the scariest thing in my life, aside from my father's voice.

"Bluestreak! What is a _civilian_ doing on this base?! Just what do you think you're doing bringing this _little insignificant punk_ in here?" Demanded a voice that was just _dripping_ in scorn.

Turning quickly I looked upon the man who had spoken... and he was getting very, _very_ close to us now. Way to close for comfort.

"Oh Director Galloway! Yeah this is Autumn! I saved her from the Cons and-and she needed medical attention! So Ratch-Ryan brought her here to keep an optic on her! Ya know?" He quickly blurted out in the familiar rambling speech that was quite unique to him. Disturbingly enough, I watched as Galloway's face slowly got redder and redder.

"That does not authorize you to bring _her kind_ here!"

I balked at the way he said that. Pain flared through my chest, a sea of blue swamping my senses. The dull throbbing in my wrist making itself known as the craving for blood intensified. The need for my knife called to me through the pounding in my ears. I slowly ducked my head and wrapped my arms around myself. I couldn't keep what he had just said out of my head. _Insignificant... her kind... little punk..._ Tears blurred my hidden gaze as I turned and ran. A shout from Blue, telling me to wait, went unanswered; I just kept running.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Khalthar's Notes; For those of you who HATE Galloway… (You know who you are!) you don't have to worry. He WILL get his in full, and while Prowl will give him a TASTE of what he deserves, it will be someone ELSE who will give him his fitting rewards! :)**_

 _It wasn't easy to be me. Why didn't anyone understand that? Why didn't anyone understand me?_ I thought in misery. Is all I had ever wanted was to be understood, and _maybe_ even accepted, but no one would ever let that happen. Hell that… _that man_ , if that's what he really was, had made it completely clear that he wanted nothing to do with me or anyone else for that matter.

A sob made its way from my throat as I ran. My heart ached furiously in my chest, beating with magma instead of blood. My ribs were killing me since they had really healed after what my father had done to me. The cuts on my wrists throbbed horribly, as my chest tightened, and my throat constricted. I stumbled multiple times as I ran out of the base and found myself on an inescapable island of sand. The water crashed in the distance, a sparkling blue in the fields of gray that overtook my vision. I took off in a sprint, dirt spraying as I stumbled and slid. Memories of past experiences flowed into my mind; unwanted memories of pain, torture, and assault.

Not long after I took off, I heard the sounds of running foot steps behind me, a body slammed into me and tackled me to the ground. I let out a viscous scream, akin to a wild animal, and raked my long nails down my captors face. A grunt met my ears, followed by a quick smack to my face. I immediately went still and limp in my captors grasp. I felt myself being hauled up and slung roughly over a shoulder. My body jerked with the strong steps. Various gazes and whispers permeated my consciousness, but words and faces didn't register.

A door clicked, a few more steps, before I was thrown roughly down on to a bed, and then I was alone. A bolt slammed home in the door alerting me to being locked in the room. It was no longer my quarters, but instead it was now my prison. I had traded one miserable prison for another. That's all I had done, I realized that now. Burying my face into one of the pillows I shivered and let out a sob...

XXX

In the early morning light, I lay there on the bed with red rimmed eyes. Sniffling I wiped my tear stained cheeks, exhaustion making every muscle, tendon, and bone in my body ache. A soft click alerted me to someone entering the room, but I didn't bother looking up. There was pressure on the other side of the bed, but I showed no reaction.

"I know you're awake." I flinched upon hearing Blue's voice. Slowly rolling over I looked up into his neon blue eyes, in the darkness of the room they seemed to cast a glow of their very own. His gaze seemed so sad, why however was something I didn't really understand.

"What do you want?" I managed to mumble in my now raspy voice. He didn't even blink an eye as he leaned down and stared me in the face. I balked at the close proximity of his being and pulled back. I froze, and my heart quickened, when he followed my movement. He reached up a hand and gently cupped my jaw.

"Why did you run earlier? It really wasn't that bad, I mean you could have just ignored him! Honestly, you should have seen how the military men got up in Galloway's face and told him off. It was awesome!" He rambled on and on. He seemed happy, but I could still see some emotion in his face that expressed otherwise. His 'happiness' did nothing for me, nor for him.

We were the same in a way. I was locked in a physical prison, and I could see in his eyes he was locked in a psychological prison. _We are the same..._ The whispering thought left just as fast as it came, but instead of acknowledging it, I rolled back over and pulled the thin blanket over my head.

After awhile the pressure on the other side of the bed lightened, then his presence disappeared entirely. Silence turned to harsh ringing, as the gravity of isolation sunk its fangs deep in my heart. A tear rolled down my cheek, agony searing my heart.

 _Quit pitying yourself and get up!_ A voice screamed, the voice of someone from my distant past. Anger swirled in me, at the words of the known, yet unknown, voice.

"I'm not pitying myself." Came the whispered reply from my soft lips. _Yes, you are. You are being incompetent, and whiny. Grow up! Get up! Move on! Show them you are not weak, show them your inner strength._ The voice became a gentle scream, words of encouragement in a sea of doubt.

"What 'inner strength'?" I spat while sitting up. The soft dark locks of my hair falling around me, the crimson streaks glittering almost as harshly as my fevered eyes.

"I have no strength left..." I mumbled, the words were soft and they sounded disturbingly condemning. _You have more than you could ever know._ Came the equally soft voice. Shutting my eyes tightly closed I shook my head dejectedly.

"If this strength is real... why hasn't it come... when will I know I've found it?" I replied, my eyes flashing open to the still empty room. A faint thought on my insane conversation was pushed aside to a back burner for later analysis.

 _You'll know._ My anger flared, while my fists clenched, and I let loose a horrible scream. Outside the first crack of lightning and a boom of thunder were the only things that were noticed, because my scream drowned out in the loud racket of nature.

XXX

Six hours... six hours was not enough to absorb the information that had been so unexpectedly thrust upon me. The silver gray body, the red chevron, those solemn blue eyes; they kept zapping through my mind, a constant onslaught of information plaguing my memories and thoughts. Only six hours before... I had been shown the form of a monster. I had thought Blue to be human, thought him to be my friend. I was wrong... he's a cold mechanical monster.

I had been in the shower this entire time. I felt that this somehow went beyond humiliating and embarrassing. Not only had I screamed in mortal terror, but I had even peed all over myself. Talk about _gross_! That was bad enough… but the rest of it? It was a _nightmare_ brought to life!

Shivering I curled my arms around my body and rocked back and forth. A sob made its way up my throat as tears fought to escape. _How... how could he lie to me?_ I wasn't upset that he was actually an... alien... not really, I was upset that he had _lied_. He'd pretended to be _human_. Flopping back onto the bed I stared up at the ceiling, letting the memory flow through my mind.

 _A hand, warm and strong, gently touched my thin arm. A voice honey soft telling me to wake up. Eyes fluttering open I looked up into the neon eyes of Blue. His silvery grey hair silky and hanging in his face as usual. A soft smile pulled at my lips._

" _Hey." He grinned, my heart fluttered. I hadn't the nerve to tell him yet, but I think...I think I was falling in love with him._

" _I have something to tell you." We said at the same time. Blushing I giggled and motioned for him to go first. He seemed nervous, as he gently grabbed my delicate hand. Pulling me from the bed he led me outside of my room. Leading me down the dark hallways, he guided me outside._

" _Where are we going? I thought you had something to tell me." I murmured in confusion. He turned around and stared me directly in the eyes. Bending down closer to my height he glanced away briefly before locking eyes with my own again. His Adams Apple bobbed as he swallowed heavily._

" _I haven't been entirely honest with you Autumn... I swear I didn't withhold this from you on purpose." A frown pulled at my lips, my heart sped up, but not in a good way. Fear coursed through me, my adrenal gland releasing adrenalin into my veins._

" _Blue... Blue you're scaring me. What do you mean?" He backed up and wiped his mouth nervously, slowly his eyes met mine._

" _There's something I need to show you, so... please don't scream." Headlights came from behind me, I turned and shielded my eyes from the bright light. I looked back at the sound of a loud pop, the sound of a gun shot or maybe an electrical line from a transformer blowing. Where Blue had stood moments before, only my shadow remained. Turning around I stared in horror as the car's lights went out, its outer exterior broke apart and within seconds a huge metallic robot stood in its place. I screamed as I stood frozen to the spot, as the metallic being crouched down in front of me. I stumbled back, legs going numb, my bladder giving way as I peed all over myself, and the feeling of falling. I was on the ground, the being's hands raised to grab me, eyes dim with sorrow._

" _Autumn. Autumn it's me, don't be afraid." Its hand moved toward me in slow motion, heart pounding in my ears, panic sweeping through me, then... I screamed again._

Staring up at the dark ceiling I let a tear fall from my eye, then another. Soon enough I was sobbing heavily, my flanks heaving with the effort, my body taxed from the incredibly stressful encounter. Panic swept through me, adrenaline pulsing in my veins like magma. It felt as if my heart would explode from how fast it was beating, I couldn't breathe. I had loved a false being, the thing was actually something I could _never_ be with. We were worlds apart, yet within the same compound.

It was a wound I felt I could never heal from. _How could he lead me on, how could he not tell me? He could have told me he wasn't human, instead he let me fall in love… in love with a thing that was as surreal as a mythical beast._ And yet I had touched it, held it, loved it... but he would never know, for he… _it_ … couldn't possibly love me back. I was flesh, he was metal. We were like fire and water, or earth and wind, two worlds that could never collide. Turning, I buried my face in the pillows. A scream tore through my throat into the soft down of the pillow I faced.

The door clicked open, and there stood Blue. His eyes were extremely sad, his full lips parted, his words barely registering as I threw a pillow at him. He looked confused as Jason and Bee came running to see what the commotion was about.

"Get out!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Blue came forward with his hands raised in a 'I surrender' pose. I bared my teeth at him and growled.

"Aut-" Thwack! Another pillow hit him in the face. I jumped behind the bed and glared at him, salty tears staining my cheeks and smearing my mascara.

"Autumn please!" His eyes were full of pleading, but I shook my head and backed away. More tears filling my eyes, my throat clogging up as he moved even closer.

"No! Get out! Don't fucking touch me!" He grabbed me gently, but firmly and pinned me to his chest. I beat, screamed, and snarled. He took all of the screams, my fists, claws, and teeth; he took it all in stride. Exhaustion wracked my body, as I rested against him crying and sobbing. His firm hands held me up; one behind my head, the other on my waist.

"Usually the humans take it better than this." I heard Jason rumble. A growl, inhuman, rumbled from Blue.

"Shut it Ironhide."

I flinched and buried my face against Blue's chest, pretending that all of it was a dream. _More like a nightmare._ A nasty voice hissed in the back of my mind.

"You lied." I mumbled. The air seemed to still, turned acrid and stale. A sigh ruffled my hair, and a warm hand rubbed my back softly.

"I know. I didn't want to, but Optimus, you know him as Orion, gave me the order to wait." He sounded very forlorn as he said that.

Sighing I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. It wasn't his fault, his leader... Optimus must have had his reasons.

"Who else lied to me?" I mumbled softly.

"Well... Ryan is actually called Ratchet. Then there is Jazz, who is another you'll meet. You know him as Ian. Jason, well... his real name is Ironhide. Mike… well...you know him but his name is Bumblebee." He rambled happily.

I stared up at him silently. I was still angry at him for lying to me, but given time, it was _possible_ that perhaps I could forgive him. I wasn't willing to bet anything on that though… and _certainly_ not anytime soon!

XXX

I had done everything humanly possible, and yet it was not possible to comprehend. I blinked, they blinked. Hydraulics hissed and electric motors whined with movements, my blood pounded as sinew stretched and contracted with my movements.

My hands twitched from the nerves of the situation. Blinking, I stared at those big blue eyes, or optics as they were called; I breathed in the scent of oil, metal, and grease from the beings around me. Shivering I leaned back frightfully into the silver gray metal of Blue, his huge hand curled around me gently as he lowered me. I clung to his fingers, suddenly understanding how a rabbit felt when looking in the eyes of a predator.

A whine left my chest, as I realized I was standing on the concrete floor with huge mechanical wonders towering over me. My breath quickened further as my heart sped up, everything was starting to swirl and tilt. The yellow one with what looked like search and rescue patterns on him walked forward. His steps shook the ground as he towered over me, a crimson beam of light went over me bringing a 'pins and needles' feeling to my whole body.

"The femling is way too distressed, her vital signs have risen _far_ beyond normal. If she doesn't relax she could go into cardiac arrest." All their eyes weighed heavily on me, and the air seemed to thicken as well.

The ground shivered and suddenly their leader, Optimus, was crouched beside me.

"Easy young one, we will not harm you, and we do not _want_ to harm you. Bluestreak has informed me that he showed you his true form, although it was against my wishes, and express orders, I respect his reasoning behind it." His voice was extremely deep and baritone, it made him both intimidating and dare I say... sexy? He pushed off the ground and stood up to his full height, with his flames seeming to dance in the light.

"My name is Optimus Prime, and I am the leader of the Autobots."

I glanced around at the large beings. There were the six I was accustomed to; then there was a police cruiser, a red Ferrari, and a large green Jeep. All three looked down at me with different expressions. The police cruiser one seemed indifferent if any thing else, the Ferrari was hard to tell, but most likely stuck up from what I could see, and the Jeep had the most fascinated expression I had seen in a long time... if ever.

"These are our newest arrivals, Prowl my second in command, Mirage our spy, and Hound our scout." Looking up at Optimus I tilted my head before looking away. Biting my lip I tentatively sputtered out my questions.

"How long have you been here? When did you come here? Why did you come here?" Looking back up at them through my lashes I swallowed heavily, hoping I hadn't overstepped some kind of unspoken boundary.

"We've been here for some time Little One. Although the first of our race to make an appearance here was Megatron, leader of the Decepticons when he was found frozen in the ice." Optimus rumbled to me.

Patience was heavily laden in his voice, as if he'd had to explain this a great multitude of times already. Although, I supposed, he's probably had to tell everything several times to the different people he had to deal with, plus those on this base.

"But you didn't answer my other question... why are you here?"

"We came here for the Allspark, the beginning of our species." By the sound of his voice, I could tell this was going to be a _very_ long explanation indeed.


	8. Chapter 8

Honestly when I heard about the battle in Mission City it scared the living daylights out of me. I wasn't sure how the two in front of me, they weren't much older than me, had managed to cope with that ordeal. Swallowing, I smiled nervously and held out my hand.

"Hi... I'm Autumn." I said somewhat nervously. The two glanced at each other before smiling. Sam seemed equally nervous while Mikaela seemed to have no problem with the situation. Shaking their hands, I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. Even though I had seen them around at school, I had finally met them and got over with it. I wasn't really all that sure about Mikaela, since she was friends with 'Snotty Bitch', and the rest of that bunch. Without them around though, she seemed kind of nice.

When they walked out of my room and I was once again left alone, I noticed something on the ground. It was an onyx colored stone of some sort that shimmered and had odd patterns on it. Crouching down I realized it wasn't a stone, but some kind of shard of something much bigger; from what however, I did not know.

 _It must have come off of their clothing..._ The thought passed through my mind causing me to frown. Crouching down, I hesitantly picked it up. Immediately a power surge lanced up my arm, and through my chest; a silent scream of pain left my body as strange symbols swept across my vision. I couldn't move, I couldn't breath, the only thing I could do was stare at the symbols that were going crazy in front of me.

I couldn't unclench my fingers from the shard, I was hypnotized, entranced even, by the very thing that caused me more agonizing pain than my father _ever_ had! I couldn't let it go. The lines had blended between _couldn't_ let it go and _wouldn't_ let it go. I wasn't sure anymore. Finally the pain dissipated leaving me panting on the floor. Agony seared my body making me tremble. Dropping the shard I noticed that the shimmer was gone, as soon as it touched the ground it disintegrated. _That's never good._

XXX

I lay there tossing and turning; trying to sleep even though I knew it would evade me the rest of the night. Only seconds after touching the shard, I found myself seeing an odd assortment of symbols, some seemed older than time itself. Nightmares were a common occurrence for me now. It had been a week since meeting the apparently famous duo and touching the shard and I still couldn't sleep. Visions put into my head by that damnable shard haunted me day and night.

Sighing, I finally threw my legs over the bed and stood up, grabbing the thick cotton jacket that Epps and Will had given me I slowly wonder out of my room in search of a certain someone. I couldn't stay angry at him forever, and besides I seriously needed his comfort.

Stepping down the nearly silent halls, I avoided the cameras and the people on night shift. Walking around with the cold concrete freezing my bare feet, for what felt like hours, I finally came across a familiar archway. Tiptoeing in I saw all the vehicular forms of the bots I had just recently gotten to meet in their true forms. Swallowing I inched in, hoping I didn't wake them. I honestly didn't know what type of punishment would be put upon me if I were found.

I slowly inched over to the familiar silver-gray Datsun 280ZX; sitting down on the cold hard concrete floor I leaned against his front left tire hesitantly, when he didn't move I settled further back. A grimace split my features briefly as the cold concrete sapped the warmth from my body. Shivering, I curled closer to the tire, not noticing when the whole wheel seemed to warm of its own accord. My mind unwittingly began to sink into the depths of sleep; I didn't even stir when I felt a familiar warm hand brush the hair out of my face, or when the arms picked me up. After that, everything turned to darkness.

XXX

When I woke up, I found myself to be laying on some type of soft material. My deep brown eyes flickered open, gazing around me to find myself in the interior of a vehicle. Sitting up with a gasp I looked around in fear, my heart pumping quickly like a startled rabbit.

A zapping noise startled me, earning a slight shriek. Turning quickly I found Bluestreak's holoform to be sitting in the passenger seat giving me a friendly grin. I let a weak smile pull at my lips in turn. Suddenly he frowned.

"Are you alright? How did you sleep? Your temperature is elevated; I don't think that's supposed to happen. Maybe I should get Ratchet...Yes Ratchet, Ratchet!" My friends panicked state made me giggle.

"I'm fi-" My words were cut off as a hand reached through the now open door and picked me up. I let out another shriek, this time louder, as I came face to face with something straight out of a nightmare. My breaths grew shallow and quick when I looked up those dangerous blue optics, that deep set expression of annoyance and the thin pressed line of metallic lips.

A tingling sensation swept over me. Shivering I curled in on myself only to have a digit from his other hand pry my limbs out of the fetal position. His optics widened and I could hear his vents stall.

"Primus... your giving off radiation linked bio-signals, but not just that... Optimus!" I could tell he wasn't really speaking to me, more to himself, but most doctors did that as far as I knew. Suddenly Optimus Prime was standing right beside Ratchet. How a bot as big as him moved that silently astounded me.

"Is there some kind of problem?" Their optics locked and a deep rumble left the troubled medic. His gleaming yellow paint catching my attention briefly before I looked back up them, only to have their blue optics set on me.

"The little one radiates the Allspark's energy signature..."

"But that's impossible!" I looked up at them all silently, a confused expression on my features as Blue appeared right behind me.

"How is that possible? What's going on!? How do we fix her! What if the Cons find her Ratchet, what if they get her and use her! She won't stand a chance against them, she'll offline Ratch! What-" He was silenced by a deft wrench to the helm. I had no idea how Ratchet managed that without dropping me, but I had to give the doc bot props.

"I'm not sure how it's possible, but it is. Optimus, I need to study her to figure out this phenomenon." As soon as he said 'study her' my mind was filled with grotesque visions of him dissecting me. Of blood dripping off tables, maniacal laughter and excruciating pain. I swallowed heavily and looked to Optimus and Bluestreak hoping for them to save me. Blue gave me a sympathetic gaze, as Optimus just studied me with his intense blue optics.

"With her permission you may. After all, she is a sentient being is she not?" I gave a heavy sigh at his words knowing they all would want me to let him 'study me'. I was stuck on a double edge sword per say. If I said yes, then there was the possibility of it being some madman experimentation; however, if I said no then they would loose all leads to finding out possible ways to get their Allspark thing back. Heaving out a sigh I looked up at the giddy medic feeling like I was walking down death row.

"I g-give you my p-permission." A seemingly sinister grin slowly worked its way across his mouth, my heart dropped. _What have I just done?_

XXX

It's been a week. An excruciatingly long week. Ratchet was just plain out _creepy_ sometimes, the way I would wake up to find him watching me with those intense neon blue optics or messing with some syringe while staring at me... man oh man.

A shiver coursed through me at the thought, in a way I would rather be facing that 'Megatron' or something. I never met the evil leader and didn't plan to, but I'd heard enough stories about him to give me some serious nightmares.

There was a zap and suddenly I was staring up at Ratchets holoform. His dirty blond hair looked shorter than I remembered. _...And that's a needle!_ The thought came and went as silently and quickly as my breaths. He came closer with the needle; it was empty so I knew he was after my blood.

"What are you, a fucking _Vampire_?" He scowled and grabbed my arm.

"I need to check your blood. Stay. Still." He commanded.

I growled at him after he snarled the words. "Neine!" I spat the German word with a violent conviction. He raised his eyebrows, his eyes turning dangerous. Not a second later his holoform disappeared, and in his place stood his real form. My breath caught in my throat. My words strangled and intertwined, clogging my throat and not wanting to come out.

"Femme. I do not have time for this. I need to figure out why you have that signature!"

"I've been here a week! You've taken multiple tests! Can't you figure it out? I thought you were the 'best medic on Cybertron'."

I spat the last sentence mockingly. His optics narrowed dangerously, I swallowed heavily. My heart was hammering. _Oh shit... that was out of line... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die!_ I was hyperventilating, I realized distantly.

His huge silver servo slammed down on the giant berth beside me causing me to flinch. I slowly looked up at him from my fetal position, I didn't know when I curled up like that but I didn't plan on coming out of it anytime soon.

I felt a prick and squealed loudly. Looking over I saw his holoform smirk, the needle now full of my blood. His holoform taped up my arm to keep it from bleeding and disappeared.

"I hate you." I snarled. He just smirked.

 _ **Ratchet POV**_

I got her energon sample and retreated to the back of my medbay. I needed to test it again. The last test I had performed came back positive. She didn't just carry the signature for no reason; all of her hemoglobin cell count was low, as was her white blood cell count.

Her cells were mutating, holding the Allspark's very essence in their structure. Her entire cell structure was completely changing.

A scowl pressed across my lip plates, the metal grinding as I scanned her energon sample. I could see everything that was going on, watched her cells mutate and change.

Before my very optics I watched as electricity carrying nanites attacked her cells. I narrowed my scanners in on them, watching them flow to and fro, destroying her biological make-up and making it... mechanical.

My optics widened in horror and amazement. I had no idea how this was happening, it was astonishing! It was also horrifying, if something happened... I had no experience with this, she could very well offline. I clenched my fist causing the metal to squeal, my processor repeating her words.

 _"I've been here a week! You've taken multiple tests! Can't you figure it out? I thought you were the 'best medic on Cybertron'."_ Guilt gripped my chassis. She was right; I had to figure this out and fast, because her time was rapidly running out. Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my olfactory-sensor-ridge. _What I wouldn't give to have Perceptor, or even Wheeljack, here at the moment._

 **Normal POV**

I lay there on the gigantic berth in silence. Ratchet had been gone for awhile; he was beginning to unnerve me. His actions made me feel like I was on my death bed. _God, why did I agree to this again?_

I sat up and looked over the edge of the berth carefully. It was easily thirteen feet from the concrete floor. Looking around I didn't see another way down, I felt something within me click as if telling me I could do it. I shook my head and tried to back up... but I lost my footing and fell.

A loud scream left my lips as I fell from the berth straight to the ground. I curled into a ball instinctively, the air rushed past me for a total of no more than a couple seconds. Before I could hit the ground I felt something odd happen, I felt this feeling of being invincible as if I could do anything.

I opened my eyes to find myself not even an inch from the ground, my breath hitched. I was levitating in mid-air, a bubble of electricity surrounded me like a force field. I looked up to hear a clatter, Ratchet stood there with a look of shock on his face plates.

"Uh… Hi Ratchet." I said awkwardly. Then the bubble popped and I hit the freezing ground with a thud. I sat up and stared at my hands. _How the hell did I do that?_ I thought in amazement. I glanced up again to see Ratchet still standing there. I was trying to gauge his reaction, but he was unmoving and unreadable.

My heart sank. _I'm not supposed to be able to do that... nobody else can do that, so how did I? He's already looking for something... did he find it? Did I just give him proof of something?_ Worry mauled my insides like a rabid fox, making me queasy. The ground trembled as he silently walked over to me.

His powerful large servos picked me up, a tingling 'pins and needles' sensation swept through me. Looking up at him I could almost hear the gears turning in his head, his expression grim. I swallowed nervously and closed my eyes tightly as he walked from the med-bay.

He carried me close to his chassis, as if I was something precious that would break from the most simplistic touch. Silence was my only companion as I ignored the voices of soldiers from below; my only focus was on Ratchet as he held me close.

I suddenly found myself freezing, yet sweat beaded up on my forehead as I curled closer to him for warmth. His metal was nice and toasty warm, heating my freezing flesh. I felt him twitch slightly, his other hand coming up to cup me from the cold air.

I heard a large metal door open and voices speaking lowly, but I couldn't focus on what was being said. My teeth were chattering, an odd sensation flowed through me.

It felt like when you stepped outside during a storm, the feeling of lightning targeting you. The hairs on my arms stood on end, Goosebumps covering my flesh. I looked up, but saw nothing. His servos shielded me from the outside world.

Suddenly light permeated my vision, I gasped and ducked my head, my pupils aching and stinging from not dilating properly to the amount of light. I winced and slowly looked up to see Optimus staring at me with a look that seemed to hold a lot of sorrow.

I was handed forward to Optimus, his huge servos surprisingly gentle. I snuggled into his warmth; getting as close to it as I could. I didn't know where I was in my disoriented state of mind, but I knew that humans weren't in this area.

I felt a tingling sensation sweep through me, heat crawling through my body almost to the point of burning. A soft humming noise was heard from the mech holding me.

"You're right Ratchet; I fear the worst for our young friend." I winced and looked up weakly, my confusion pretty obvious to those who knew me well enough.

"I am truly sorry Autumn, we shall do what we can." I felt my confusion grow; it must have shown on my face.

"Autumn-" I looked to Ratchet, his optics dark. I curled closer to Optimus for warmth and the knowledge that he would protect me from the insane medic's wrath. His next words sucked the breath from me, stole any words, and numbed my mind.

"-The radiation is changing your DNA... it's... almost bio-mechanical. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Not right now at least." I was quiet, as silent as I had been when I couldn't speak. _What does he mean by changing... am I no longer human or something? He said bio-mechanical though..._

I swallowed and buried my face against the large Autobot leaders chassis. For some reason the sound of his gears turning, of his spark's thumping rhythm, it comforted me. In a way it scared me, but at the same time it seemed completely natural. _What happens now?_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Khalthar's Notes: Yes Autobot femmes will be brought into this story, but that will take place later in the story. Right now, only a couple of months have passed since the Battle in Mission City, so there's a lot left to happen.**_

Much to my displeasure, Ratchet had _literally_ stolen me away by claiming me to be 'not physically strong enough and very prone to illness'. _Primus he is such an aft._ Wait... what? _Where in the pit did that come from?_

I face palmed irritably. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I felt different... I even _thought_ differently. It was scaring me a lot. It didn't help that I had plenty of time to think over it and such, being as Ratchet constantly held me prisoner in the med-bay.

I glared at said medic's back plating. I really wanted out of the 'bay and he wouldn't let me. A growl of frustration escaped my lips. Running my hand through my hair, effectively disheveling it, I examined the ground. The drop wouldn't be too bad, I mean I'd done it before... so I could do it again... right?

I glanced up at Ratchet again, he was busy muttering and tinkering. My lips quirked into a mischievous grin as I carefully slid the heavy blanket from around my shoulders. Shifting closer to the edge I placed my toes on the very end of the metal, my heels barely balancing me. Glancing down I silently prayed that it would work again; taking in a deep breath I jumped.

I kept my gaze on the floor, I felt like I was approaching way too fast. A second before I could hit the ground I felt that weird electromagnetic fluctuation and suddenly I was floating. I grinned as it disappeared, my feet gently landing on the ground.

I quickly looked around for shoes, seeing none I grimaced. _Great, the floor's slagging cold too..._ I glanced up at the berth suddenly longing for the blanket. Shaking my head, I quickly ran barefoot from the med-bay.

The blue sweat pants were hugging my body tightly while the white long sleeve had the opposite effect, both pieces of garment had been supplied by Ratchet. _It's better than a paper gown I suppose._ I thought with a shudder.

I looked around the hall silently, people moving to and fro, all were in uniform and moving past me without a glance. On occasion someone would give me a faintly curious look, but then they would move on their way.

I bit my bottom lip as I was unsure of which way to take, I always got lost so easily. I looked around the huge hallway; the intersection was a four way. _Oh come on... how hard could it be to find my way outside!_ I thought all the while giving a dramatic sigh.

I growled softly and made a left, stalking down the hallway I found myself at another intersection. This one only had two ways: left or right. I glared at the concrete wall before me and decided to make a right. After all, I knew that if I made a left I'd be going back the way I came.

The second I saw the next intersection I felt anger welling up inside of me. _How slagging many intersections do they need?_ I clenched my hands and just kept going forward. After more than an hour of moving through intersections aimlessly, I gave up on ever getting outside and just walked to feel my muscles move.

I knew I shouldn't be doing this; after all, Ratchet had stated that unneeded activity could speed up the nanites. I had no idea what was happening within my body, but I was unfazed. If it was my time, it was my time.

Exhaustion crept through my body as I walked. I knew I should not have been so worn out, but my body apparently did not know that. Sighing softly I paused in the deserted hall-way and let my back slide down the wall. This hall was equally humongous as were the others, so I knew bots may or may not come through here. _Perhaps I could ask one of them?_

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the idea of asking one of them how to get outside. _Primus, this is just great..._ Not a second later I felt the ground quake a little. Looking up I saw the mech that Optimus called Prowl, he was Optimus' second in command.

I swallowed when those icy blue optics landed on my dark brown eyes. He silently came closer, his door wings flicking. I briefly spotted police insignias on both of them, with the words _'to protect and serve'_ written in an elegant font. His shoulders holding the insignia of the Autobots.

"Are you alright Miss Mondschein?"

I blinked in surprise. I didn't think he'd know my full name. I silently kicked myself internally. _He's the Autobot second in command! He's bound to know everything about everyone! It's his job!_

Realizing he was still waiting on an answer, I pulled myself from my inner aft kicking and nodded faintly. He really didn't look convinced if the way his optics narrowed and his metallic lips pursed were any indication.

"You do know that Ratchet has been searching for you."

I swallowed heavily trying not to crack under the pressure of that gaze. _It maybe a trick, maybe he's doing the good cop bad cop thing!_ I thought to myself in timid reassurance.

My more sarcastic side spoke up snidely only seconds after, completely bashing and crushing my self comforting thoughts. And how do you suppose he's doing that with one bot?

"I am waiting on your answer Miss Mondschein."

I winced and then lowered my head. I murmured the words weakly, my resolve cracking.

"I left the med-bay looking to get fresh air, then I got lost... and then I got tired and have been sitting here a good twenty minutes until you came." I mumbled the words softly and slowly looked up. I knew he had heard every word though, those narrowed optics told me that.

"You are in trouble with Ratchet; he did not give you permission to leave."

I scowled at that and slowly stood up, my legs felt weak and didn't want to work with me.

"I don't need a babysitter!" I snapped. Then my legs buckled. I gave out a loud yelp of surprise, but before my head could hit the ground I felt warm fingers slide beneath my upper back. Looking up slowly I stared up at Prowl.

"I am taking you back to med-bay. You should not be out here in such a condition, even less so without proper pede protection."

I whined, pleaded, and whimpered as he 'escorted' me back to the devil himself. I really hated authority figures.

Prowl walked in with me curled up in his servos, during the walk I found myself migrating to rest against his chassis. I felt him stiffen as I got closer to listen to his spark, but I could have cared less for all it was worth. I don't know what's coming over me, it just felt… right. There was no other way to explain it.

I was snoozing; the sound of his strong spark pulsing in my ear was extremely calming. A second later though, that warmth and beat was gone. I couldn't help what happened next. I reached out to him like a child was and made a whimpering noise. His optics zeroed in on me, Ratchet stopped trying to carry me away and silence engulfed the room; ringing with the intensity.

My eyes widened as I dropped my gaze and let my arms settle on Ratchet's fingers, I curled into the fetal position and lay there in his palms. Embarrassment colored my pale cheeks, my heart was thumping quickly moving my blood way too fast, I was quickly getting dizzy. Suddenly I heard a croon from Ratchet, a finger slid down my back silently and I found myself responding by relaxing out of my fetal position.

"Interesting. She is acting like a sparkling."

"I know Prowl, she's changing. _Now out_!"

I curled up into my ball again, quivering in fear, a door slammed shut telling me that Prowl was gone. _Yay, now I can be murdered with no witnesses._

 **Bluestreak POV**

 _Tall elegant spire like buildings reached far up to the stars. The dark sky was lit up by the two moons, bots moved in the shadows doing their business. A whimper whispered from a tiny frame that no one noticed, a sparkling curled up in the corner._

 _Its armor a dull silver-gray, optics a lifeless pale blue-gray. Its wings flicked weakly, the miniature chevron on its helm glinting a dull red. A whistle permeated the air, and then the city was in chaos as it was destroyed._

Bluestreak sat up quickly, his vents hitching as he sat there in his berth. The rooms had just recently gotten finished, so luckily he and the others didn't have to recharge in their alt. Modes any more. Luckily for him he didn't wake up like this around the others, it was too embarrassing...

He sucked in a weak shaky breath and settled his elbow joints on his thighs, leaning over his rested his face plates in his servos. A soft almost inaudible sob could be heard from him as his wings quivered.

Why didn't anyone understand why he talked so much? He only talked to drown out the memories, to drown out the screams. Shivering again he sat up and scrubbed the coolant from his face plates. Shivering, he slid from his berth and walked to the door.

Pressing the glowing button he moved out and made sure there were no humans that he could possibly step on. Pressing another button the door closed and locked. He ran his servo down his face tiredly and slowly walked down the halls aimlessly. He didn't have anywhere in particular that he was headed, he just needed to walk.

It was times like this in the middle of the night, when he was by himself that he cursed his need to talk. Times like this, when he was all alone, when he had no associate or friend to speak with. He new that a many of the mechs from the Ark, and from other bases he had met, got irritated with him, but it was his coping method… his _only_ coping method.

He looked up seeing the med-bay doors. Pausing in front of them he looked down to the ground and wondered if he should sneak in to see Autumn. He felt bad that he hadn't seen her, but when the Hatchet forbade something it was best to listen. _Maybe he's in recharge... only a moment... just a moment._

He stepped forward, the door slid open automatically with a hiss. Bluestreak winced and slowly moved in, his wings twitching constantly in case Ratchet made a sneak attack. He was good about that, _really_ good. You never heard the wrench coming; you only felt that sudden impact.

Walking forward silently he felt more than heard the door close. His wings twitching from the sensors picking up on the vibrations. Optics brightening and switching to 'night mode' he looked around with his night vision activated.

The tiny form on the berth in the far corner caught his attention. Walking over he looked down at the small human femmeling. She was so tiny, so fragile. His optics softened as he reached down and gently shifted the cream colored cotton blanket around her.

Slowly shifting down with a hiss and whirl of his gears he moved so that he rested on his knees. Folding his arms on the berth, he rested his jaw on them.

"I love you... I know you probably don't love me like that, but I hope in time that you will. I wish I could give you the peace of mind that most mechs around here crave, the type I myself crave. I wish I could give you the world... no the galaxy. All the galaxies!"

He was so busy rambling and talking to himself and trying to figure out how he would proclaim his feelings, that he didn't notices the change in breathing pattern. Nor did he notice her shifting until a tiny gasp met his audios.

He blinked and looked at her quickly. Optics met with human eyes, they both froze. One surprised at waking up to find her guardian there, the other was transfixed and a little devastated.

"Your eyes..." He managed to whisper, getting a soft noise from his charge. She slowly sat up and looked up at him groggily, lifting a hand to touch her cheek.

"What?" she mumbled sleepily. The way she started rubbing at her eyes was adorable and incredibly endearing to Bluestreak

"They're blue."

 **Autumn POV**

I was fast asleep, my body twitching slightly from a whirling noise. I felt my blanket shift to better keep me warm, a faint sigh left my lips as contentment swept through me. I could hear a faint noise in the background; I wasn't paying attention to what it was saying… only the voice.

The voice, it was silken and soft, gentle and warm. It was incredibly familiar and brought contentment to me even in sleep. I had to open my eyes, to see who it was. Slowly the heavy fog lifted, a sigh leaving me as I gently stretched out my muscles like a cat would.

Opening my eyes slowly I saw a blurry figure that came into focus; twin electric blue orbs, a crimson chevron and that smooth calm face. _Blue..._ A gasp left my lips, it was soft barely audible, but it caught his attention.

"Your eyes..." He whispered quietly.

I jolted and pushed through my sleep deprived brain to sit up, I lifted a hand to touched my cheek self consciously.

"What?" I mumbled groggily. I rubbed at my eyes tiredly and yawned.

"They're blue."

I quickly woke up the rest of the way and tilted my head. "Blue...?"

"Yes... they're blue..." He leaned forward to see my eyes better causing me to lean back, my arms felt like lead and causing me to flop on my back. A soft 'oompf' left my lips, a chuckle my only answer. I mock glared up at Blue and smiled softly.

"I've missed you." Those beautiful blue orbs stared into my eyes, I loved his optics.

"I've missed you as well." He murmured softly.

I smiled feeling him vent soft warm air over my body. My dark black and red hair fluttering from the disturbance in the air.

I slowly tried to stand up only to find my legs didn't want to work, they felt heavy. Not like the aching heavy of a harsh workout, but like five hundred pounds each heavy. I swallowed hard and tried to move again, they still wouldn't. I remembered when I had tried to lean back, my arms were having a similar problem, but they weren't as bad.

"What's wrong, are you alright? Can you not stand? Did you get hurt or something? Is that why you've been here?" He quickly fired off the questions, but instead of getting confused like I normally would I actually managed to understand him.

It was odd, very odd. Only the bots seemed to understand him when he did that, and that was usually very rarely. _I'm changing far faster than Ratchet had first anticipated... soon I won't even be human anymore._

I felt something clench in my stomach, it wasn't exactly fear, but it wasn't butterflies of excitement. A sudden warm finger gently tipped my head up, looking up into the warm face of Bluestreak I offered a weak smile.

"Sorry I was just thinking...I'm fine really!" I could see he didn't believe me. Thankfully he dropped it because right now, neither Ratchet, nor I, had a decent explanation. His gentle servos slid under and around me, picking me up.

"What's going on?" I winced and cursed internally for thinking he'd give up so soon. I mean come on; this _is_ Bluestreak we're talking about. I sucked in a deep breath and cuddled up against his fingers. Glancing up I saw his small grin as he shifted my blanket around my shoulders. I smiled shyly before sobering up.

"I'm not entirely sure... Ratchet said I'm changing..." I murmured the words quietly, trying to think on how exactly I would change. I had a sinking suspicion as to what it was though, and an even heavier one that told me it was irreversible.

"Changing how?"

I swallowed and looked up at him, my now apparent blue eyes glimmering and shining up at him.

"I think I'm changing into one of your kind." I saw his optics widen slightly.

"Into a Cybertronian?"

I nodded. I was watching his expression carefully, I was scared he'd run away and leave me. I was petrified that he'd proclaim me a freak of nature. I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

His digits curled around me and pulled me closer to his throat cables, his face hovering over me. I was in awe watching those mechanics in his optics move, twisting and turning. Seeing the smooth plains across his facial structure.

"You have my support all the way, you always have."

My eyes stung, my throat clogged up and I couldn't stop the choked noise that left me as tears tried to fall. I felt warm air vent over me, heard the whispering 'pwssh' from his vents.

"Shh… it's okay, it's okay. Let it out."

And that's what I did. His warm digits gently stroked my back and played with my hair. I cuddled up to his digits my head rested under his jaw and against the pulsing warm lines of his throat; I guessed they were similar to our arteries.

Warm liquid spilled down from my cheeks, my vision blurry. All the while I could feel myself being rocked, a gentle voice murmuring sweet nothings. After what felt like hours the tears finally quit, but the small hiccups and sniffles remained. I picked up on a gentle humming that soothed my frayed nerves.

I wasn't really sure why I had been crying. I suppose it was for my loss of family and now… even my humanity, grieving over my mother and the pain over the things I had lost. Luckily for me I had Bluestreak to make it easier.

I sniffed and listened to the humming, that mixed with the rocking and hair stroking had me sent right off. A soft sigh left my lips as I cuddled further into the large mech, for once I felt safe and loved even with all the uncertainty flowing around.

"Night Blue."

"Good night Autumn."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Khalthar's Notes: A bit longer, but I don't think I'll get any complaints.**_

When I awoke the next morning I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but finding Ratchet hovering over me with that creepily intense look sure wasn't it. I yelped and sat up, looking around I didn't see Bluestreak anywhere.

I could feel my heart pounding away; it felt hot and burned in my chest. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my body, looking up at Ratchet my eyes wide, and I froze at his expression. It was intense, enough to make the strongest mech's resolve wobble and crumble like dust. I swallowed heavily.

"R-Ratchet?"

"Hmm... blue eyes... carbon fibers... spark." He was muttering the words to himself and jotting something down on a data pad. I frowned at him seeing as he was ignoring me. I couldn't really make out what he was saying, but I knew it was about me. I wasn't even narcissistic by nature, but I knew.

"Um hello!" I called out. He suddenly seemed to snap out of it and sent a scathing glare my way. I pushed it aside and let a snarl pass my lips.

"What are you going on about?" I snapped irritably. His optics narrowed dangerously at my words.

"Nothing that you need to worry about." He stated it so calmly you'd think we were talking about the weather instead of his findings.

"Bull slag! This is my body and my _life_ we're talking about!" I snarled the words up to him, faintly miffed at saying slag instead of shit. _What has gotten into me with these odd words?_ It was like something in my brain told me these were the right words to use and my English ones were wrong.

Suddenly humongous palms slammed down on either side of me. I flinched with a squeak as he let loose the most terrifying snarl I have _ever_ heard.

"Femme! Do. Not. Test. Me! Now silence yourself and rest!" He growled the words irritably.

I was truly scared for my life as I stared up into his sapphire blue optics, they held so much ire. I swallowed feeling the heavy pulse in my throat, the sound of my heart beating was in my ears.

I curled in on myself, remembering distantly from watching animals that if you appeared smaller and submissive then maybe the bigger creature would leave you be. It was quiet for a moment as the silence held heavily over us; I saw something flash through his optics.

 _Regret?_ He turned and stalked off with the data pad, muttering something under his breath. I had a feeling it wasn't very nice either.

I curled up into a ball and stared at a wall feeling panic sweep through me. The one bot I have to be around twenty-four seven and I manage to slag him off so badly that I was lucky to not get the frag beat out of me every which way but Sunday. A soft, almost inaudible, whining noise left my lips.

I didn't trust any of them consciously, only one bot held a glimmer of trust from me. So why wasn't he here? That was the only thing that I wanted. I sniffed and curled into a ball, pain sweeping through my heart.

My already heavy limbs felt even heavier, pain sweeping through the hardening muscles and into my chest. My abdomen clutched queasily in pain.

I just wanted Blue, that's all I wanted. I just wanted his warm smile, his gentle touch, and his comforting voice. Most of all I craved to hear his gentle spark, beating rhythmically in his chassis. Was that so much to ask for?

My chest felt hotter than a blazing star, a feeling that was ripping and tearing. It hurt so badly, the feeling leaving me breathless. If I could move I would be writhing in pain.

I thought I knew what it meant to feel pain, to hurt and burn, I was proved wrong. _Very wrong_! The worst part was that I couldn't even call out to Ratchet, I couldn't tell him how badly I was hurting. I felt like magma was coursing through me, pulsing, and burning. It was disintegrating my very innards.

As soon as it had come it was gone, leaving me breathless on the cold metal berth. My body ached and burned, an odd feeling sweeping throughout me. _If this is only a fraction of the process, I think I'd rather die right now._ The thought swept through me morbidly.

I looked over seeing Ratchet busy with something, he didn't even flinch, he couldn't tell what had happened. Fear coursed through me. _What if it happened again? What if I started changing and no one knew... what if I die?_

I wanted to call out to him, get him to come over, but a part of me thought back to when I had pissed him off. There were so many 'what ifs' that could happen. A single tear slid down my cheek, pain welling up in my chest again, but I couldn't cry. I wouldn't.

I forced myself to pull my pain in and lock it away, to hide it somewhere deep inside, to make sure it would never see the light of day again. Closing my eyes tightly, I concentrated all of my strength into my abdomen and forced myself to roll over onto my side.

I curled into a weak fetal position, ignoring the huge shadow that would pass by on occasion to loom over me. All the while I lay there; I stared at the wall hollowly. I wasn't sure what would happen next and that's what scared me.

I had thrown me for a loop; and the roller coaster known as life has effectively gotten me strapped in for a wild, and uncertain, filled ride.

XXX

 _...Silence..._

 _Gray walls, medical devices that looked fit for torture. Berths lined up in rows, a blinking red light of a camera._

 _...Silence..._

 _Glowing blue eyes narrowed as the tiny frame stiffened. Something was disturbing the silence. Footsteps maybe? Something was coming closer. Something was going to get in. Panic gripped her spark. She made a choking noise when she saw those crimson optics. She tried to open her lip components to deliver a scream, but it never came._

 _The being rose up before her, silver claws grabbing the delicate turquoise femme's throat. The lines getting crushed. She couldn't breath. Messages popped up in her field of vision, she opened her mouth trying to breathe._

 _"...Scream..." The huge mech snarled, and she did._

My eyes flashed open, a scream leaving my lips. My chest rising and falling with every breath, panic coursing throughout my over heated body. Pulse thumping harshly in my throat, beads of sweat lingered on my forehead.

A gentle hand swept my hair from my face, I couldn't move, I couldn't breath. A sob came unbidden as the lights flashed on, the familiar face of the medic in my vision. My vision turned blurry from tears. _What the frag was that!_ I screamed pitifully in my head.

"Shh... shh... it's alright... shh..." Slowly the words came into focus, the static in between probably from me. I felt something prick my arm and moments later drowsiness came over me.

"Blue..." I mumbled weakly. A gentle hand swept my sweat laced hair from my face. Warm lips caressing my throat, my pulse fast against said lips.

"Stay... Blue... stay..." I managed to whimper the words before darkness consumed my senses.

 **Bluestreak POV**

Bluestreak sat there in his holoform, his arms around the tiny femme's frame. As soon as he had heard her scream, which admittedly he probably shouldn't have seeing as his quarters were on the other side of base from med bay, he had come running.

The sight of her tiny body convulsing and the panicked signals it was giving off had driven him over the edge. He snarled and growled at the mechs who had come running, guarding her the entire time. The only one he had allowed near was Ratchet, and that was to give her a quick sedative.

Gazing down into her face as she relaxed, he felt intense pain sweep through his spark. She looked so terrified. That's not what set him off, he could _smell_ her fear. Of course all of the bots could smell a humans emotions, arousal always being something that was easily detectible for the musky sent, and he was no different. He had picked up on it, and that drove him over the edge.

"Blue..." She whimpered the words. His gaze snapped back into focus to watch her. I reached forward and gently swept her dame hair from her face. _I'm here._ Bluestreak knew what it was like to have nightmares where you woke up screaming, he had them all the time. He was determined to not let her suffer like he did.

Leaning down he pressed his holoform's lips to her throat, feeling the pulse that resided there. A smile pulled at his lips, he could taste her skin. It was so sweet, so silken. It was musky, forest scented almost.

"Stay... Blue... stay..." The softly whimpered words hardened his resolve. Laying her down softly he let his holoform disintegrate. Transforming up from his alt. Mode, seeing as he had come squealing into med-bay in his vehicular form when he heard her scream, he reached out and gently picked her up. His warm servos caressing her as he shifted to lay down on the berth, settling her over his spark.

 _You're not alone Autumn, it's alright, I'm here._ He slowly slipped into recharge with those thoughts in his mind.

 _ **Autumn POV**_

When I awoke I found myself to be on something warm instead of the usual chilly metal. The warmth emanating from the silver-gray metal added to the gentle pulsing sound was intoxicating.

It didn't help that I was exhausted. I couldn't find the strength to move, I couldn't even if I tried. After my conniption fit of pain, I just couldn't find the strength to move. I hadn't told Ratchet, he was to busy to notice. However, I knew he would find out sooner rather than later.

I saw a black servo, it draped over me gently, confusion swept through me. Looking around at the metal I slowly tilted my head back until I saw Bluestreak's familiar face plates.

"What-?" I was thoroughly confused having not remembered him coming in last night. He smiled gently and answered my silent query.

"You were having a nightmare last lunar cycle. I'm sorry if this was too forward, I was just trying to comfort you, I wasn't even trying anything I swear! I just-"

"Bluestreak."

"Yes?"

"It's fine."

He offered me a brilliant and impish grin.

"You're awake."

I flinched and slowly looked up to see Ratchet. _Major mood killer._ I swallowed and offered a faint smile. His expression was neutral making me nervous. I felt an odd feeling I had come to realize the meaning of, Ratchet was scanning me again

I tried to keep still, knowing he'd get pissier than a bear coming out of hibernation. _Wait... that's an insult to the bear._ I tried not to smirk or snicker. Suddenly I was lifted from Bluestreak's grasp. A squeak left my lips as I gazed into the sharp optics of the one mech who could scare the pit out of Unicron.

"How long ago was it?"

I flinched under the glower. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" His optics narrowed further, panic swept through me.

"Lies." He hissed.

I winced and looked away. "Three days ago..." I mumbled guiltily.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He snarled loudly.

When I looked up I saw what he was truly feeling: guilt and fear. I felt myself relaxing when I realized that he wasn't really _angry_ at me per say, it was more like he was concerned; he was like a mother hen.

"I couldn't speak... it hurt too much." That guilt tripled making my heart ache. I reached up and touched his cheek plating weakly, my arm felt so heavy and constricting. It felt like I was trying to lift an elephant instead of my arm!

"It's not your fault." That glower was back full force. Flinching, I suddenly found myself none to gently set back on Blue's chassis. I looked up in confusion and trepidation.

"Bluestreak." Ratchet growled after he set me down.

"Yes Sir." Came the automatic reply from my loving guardian, his servo draping over me comfortingly.

"I need you to help me watch her; she's too stubborn for her own good."

"Sir?"

"She's changing, and much faster than I first predicted."

 **Autumn POV**

The nightmares kept coming, disturbing my sleep as just much as the pain that was lancing through my body. Laying there in med-bay had become a torture in and of itself. I couldn't run, and couldn't move. There was no way for me to escape any of it.

Ratchet luckily didn't yell anymore, but on the downside he was constantly hovering over me like I might suddenly flat-line. Needless to say, it was nerve wrecking.

A sigh left my lips as I closed my eyes. Pain was a constant reminder of what was going to come. I shivered feebly, my body having grown weak for anything more.

Ratchet tried to put mineral drops in my body to sustain me, but it wasn't working. I refused to be fed through a tube, so as of right now my body was slowly decaying. Slowly dieing.

I could hear Ratchet, somewhere off to my right tinkering with something. I wanted desperately to call out for pain relief, any medication would do, but I couldn't force my jaw open. I knew that if I tried to speak, all that came forth would be a scream of complete and utter agony.

I grit my teeth, my back arching off the berth. My eyes flashed open, my chest was constricting in a way that made it impossible to breathe.

A faint gurgling noise came from my throat, the agony rising and blossoming in my chest to expand outward to my limbs in a tidal-wave of magma encased torment.

A humongous shadow loomed over me, the intense optics of Ratchet in my face. He was snarling something, messing with bags that were attached to me through an IV.

A door slammed open somewhere distantly, but I couldn't tell where because my ears were ringing with an unknown cause. Gentle hands moved down my sides, brushed my face, but I couldn't see who it was. Crimson light engulfed my vision. I felt like I was going to explode.

I finally let out the wail of agony that barely even scratched the surface of how much I was hurting, it just showed how much I was being tormented. _Primus, I want Bluestreak!_ I wanted to see him, and feel him, before I died.

I wasn't sure if I was going to survive this pain, oh how much it truly hurt. I felt my limbs stretching, my bones cracking and reforming. Something hot was pulsing painfully in my chest, pumping what felt like magma through out my veins.

My mind seemed to explode outwardly as it expanded; the information from years of school and observation suddenly seemed insignificant and took up very little space in my suddenly ample brain capacity. I felt like I was burning from the inside out, disintegrating, and then stretching out to my limits only to shrink back in.

My back arched yet again, a scream tearing through my throat to echo out to those around me. When my back finally slammed back down I felt like I was crushing something delicate that protruded from my back. _Primus it hurts..._

My mind felt dizzy, clouded, and incapable of comprehending anything. I could feel an odd sensation flow through me, it was light as a feather and caressed every part of my internal being. I tried to open my eyes, vision faintly returning. It just hurt so much. Everything had dulled down to a painful ache, as if I had gotten the slag beat out of me.

I groaned and forced my vision to return, only to realize Ratchet didn't look so big... or was it that I wasn't so small?

 **Ratchet POV**

I was tinkering with a small mass displacement gadget. Something that Wheeljack had been working on before he got separated from the Ark, from Optimus and the other officers that had come to Earth.

It was annoying how much this little creation of his didn't want to work. For a moment I feared it may blow up. _No, it would require the master of explosions himself for it to explode._ A snort left my vocalizer.

A faint gurgling noise behind me set me on edge. Dropping the gadget I turned quickly to see Autumn on the large mech sized berth. Her tiny back was arching up, my sensors picking up on her internal temperature rising. I quickly rushed over and scanned her only to go still in shock. I scanned her again, the same result. She was changing.

I snarled and leaned over her messing with the bags of minerals trying to get a pain reducer the humans called 'morphine' into her veins. I felt my energon run cold; her spark was beating too fast. She was entering a panicked state and under this much stress she would go into spark shock and offline.

"Slag it all to the pit!" I snarled loudly and quickly sent a com. to Bluestreak.

 **.:Bluestreak! Get your aft to med-bay now!:.**

 **.:I didn't miss any appointments! What did I do wrong, why are you yelling, what's going on? Ratchet?:.**

 **.:It's Autumn, she's changing!:.**

 **.:I'll be right there!:.**

I could only hope to Primus that Bluestreak could calm her down. I paced in front of her berth, watching her in worry. The morphine wasn't doing her any good; her spark beat was still erratic. Still too fast. The door suddenly slammed open, telling me that the youngest Datsun from the Ark had arrived.

 **Bluestreak POV**

After the com from Ratchet I raced there as fast as I could. I raced through the hallways, jumping over the humans.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Pardon me! Mech coming through!" I ran to the med-bay and slammed through the door. I could hear a wailing scream, one that sent my spark racing. It belonged to the one femme whom I had never wished to hear in pain. My door wings sagged on my back in horror. She was in so much agony!

Moving forward I noticed Ratchet's intensely worried expression. I sent him a smile of reassurance. No matter how gruff he acted, or how many wrenches he threw, I knew that he always cared for us mechs.

I reached her berth and applied gentle touches and caresses. There wasn't much I could do except tell her that I was here. _Ratchet wasn't kidding when he said she was changing..._

I looked down upon her, seeing that her skin had disintegrated and metal had taken its place. She had grown with loud snapping pops that made me flinch. I couldn't even _imagine_ the agony she must be feeling! I couldn't tell how tall she was seeing as she was laying down, but I suspected at least fifteen and a half feet. Maybe sixteen feet. Her wails had stopped and she lay there still, the sound of her cooling fans was the only noise in the room.

She had changed so suddenly... it was scary. What if she offlined that suddenly? I couldn't bear the thought! I watched her optics dimly light up, her shutters flickering open weakly. Ratchet moved past me to gaze down upon her, running a deep diagnostic to check on her systems.

She fully onlined her optics after a moment, relief washing through me. I felt her digits twitch seeing as my servo was resting next to hers. She jumped and looked around, her movements slow and weak. A croon left my lips as I ran a gentle servo over her helm. That's when I noticed that she had door wings like I did.

I glanced over her frame curiously; she was in her protoform of course so I respectively kept my optics from _those_ areas. She was lean and slight in build, elegant really. Her optics were shaped as the humans would call 'almond style'. Her lip plates full, cheeks high and smooth. She had a chevron like Prowl, Smokey and I. A grin met my lips at that.

Her legs were long and came down to smallish pedes, dainty actually. My spark warmed at the sight. She was beautiful as a human, but now she was absolutely angelic.

"Wow..." I whispered the word before I could stop it, her optics locking on my own.

 **Normal POV**

I took in the sight of Ratchet standing there; his huge frame didn't look so huge. His optics were locked on my face with an intensity that I wished he didn't hold. _Primus that mech is scary just by standing there!_

My digits twitched at the thought. Suddenly I felt the scrutiny of another, looking up I saw Blue. His intense optics racking over my frame, making me shiver internally. It wasn't a bad shiver, but a good one. I noticed the grin that crossed his lips, his optics bright with a hidden mischievous gleam.

"Wow..."

I blinked and suddenly wondered if my frame didn't look good. Panic crept up my spine and clenched my spark. _Was I ugly? Was something wrong with me?_ I swallowed back the whimper at that thought. _Why in the pit did I care what he thought?_

"Autumn?"

My helm snapped to the right, looking up at Ratchet.

"Good you can hear me. Your response means that you remember who you are I hope?" For a second I thought of being evil and playing dumb, but I decided against it. I wasn't sure if I could talk just yet, so I gave a shaky nod.

"You scared us..."

I looked out of my peripheral vision to see Bluestreak. He seemed so... upset. I frowned and turned my head, _helm_ , to face him.

"I-I'm s-sorry I s-scarred y-you." I managed to grind out, my vocal cords-er processors- were weak and didn't seem to want to respond. A croon left his lips, his servo coming up to cup my jaw. I felt something stir in my chassis, a rumbling noise echoing him unconsciously.

"-instincts."

I came back into focus to see Blue's amused expression and Ratchet's inquiring one. I blinked in confusion, not understanding what I had just missed out on. A soft chuckle left Bluestreak's lip components.

"It's nothing."

I scowled and relaxed against the berth when he stroked over a spot on my fore-helm. A purring croon leaving my lips, pleasurable tinglings sweeping through me. I shuttered my optics and felt like I was in heaven as his thumb gently swept over that spot.

"Her chevron's just as sensitive as Smokey's and Prowl's and my own!"

"No kidding Bluestreak! She may not have been born a Praxian, but she certainly turned into one!"

I felt something on my back flare against the berth, a growl leaving my lips as Ratchet threatened my mate.

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa! Mate? Where did that come from?_ I blinked and pulled away from Blue to look up at them nervously. Ratchet smirked as if knowing my internal thoughts. Fraggin' medic! Wait... what does that mean? A frown pulled at my lips as my brain- _processor_ -supplied me with _correct_ terminology. _This is gonna take some getting used to..._


	11. Chapter 11

I was sitting up, leaning against Bluestreak weakly. I wasn't sure how I had even finished the transformation, I didn't know if Ratchet even knew. A weak moan escaped my lips, pulses of pain still lighting up my circuits.

My muscle cables were clenching. I couldn't tell what I really looked like, but I could kind of see how I was constructed. My protoform as Ratchet had called it was pretty much their version of being naked, however I wasn't really showing anything embarrassing because of the thin metal that covered my spark casing and lower regions.

I swallowed hard and inspected my legs. They were long, longer than they were as a human in proportion. The protoform armor was crafted elegantly to act almost like skin over my muscles. I could see outlines of my muscle cables and energon lines, but the thin metal flexed with them like skin.

Blinking, I looked down at my servos. The silver metal shimmering under the fluorescent med-bay lighting. I could see that I had more joints in my servos than I had had as a human. The sound of footsteps made me look up; Ratchet was approaching with a cube of an odd pink liquid in his servos.

"This is energon, and you need to drink it. This is what we do instead of eating." He said.

I gave it a wary look as I took it shakily. Gentle black servos slipped over and around my shaking ones. I looked up to see Bluestreak whom had shifted without me noticing. I felt... wired, hyper… jittery almost, and I wasn't sure why.

His blue optics drilled into my own as he gently helped my take a sip, I was shaking like a leaf. My wings, I don't know if I would ever get used to them, were shivering, and flaring constantly. My processors were being bombarded with information, the simplest change in how someone was standing had the delicate sensors lighting up immediately.

The shimmering pink liquid had a look to it like oil mixed with water did on a bright sunny day. A purple and blue tint was swirling through it and effectively breaking the solid color up. The taste was a mix between being sweet like fresh strawberries from a field to have the faintest taste of how diesel fumes smelled.

I looked away embarrassed as Blue had to help me intake the energon, I felt a lot better after a few sips of the liquid. I felt stronger. My servos were able to hold the cube and not shake as much.

"H-h-how...?"

Ratchet and Blue blinked gazing down at me. Blue tilted his head and sat down beside me, watching me in concern. It unnerved me… his intensity that is. It could almost rival Ratchet's, only Ratchet's gaze held a look that you dare not challenge.

"What?" Ratchet spoke calmly, his optics holding mine with that intensity that I hated.

"H-how d-did I change s-so fast." My voice still stuttered, but luckily it was beginning to sound stronger. Ratchet scowled and looked peeved. I flinched.

"My best guess is that it has to do with that bio-signature you were giving off... it was so similar to the All-Spark. If so, then it would make sense."

I blinked in confusion. I was thoroughly lost. I do remember Optimus mentioning the All-Spark and explaining it to me, but I wasn't sure what it had to do with this.

"W-what do you mean?" I felt gentle servos swiping over my wings in just the right way. It wasn't provocative in the least; but it was relaxing and sent a feeling of sleepiness through me. I flicked my wings into the gentle servos of Blue, craving a touch that didn't promise pain. I shivered and took a sip of the energon; it sent a tingle down my throat as it settled in my tank.

"The Allspark was a creation of Primus, a Cube of immense power that could create worlds and fill it with life."

I nodded quietly, listening intently to the medic as I sipped my fuel.

"My _theory_ … is that you absorbed a decent part of its power somehow, this being said, the Cube was regulating its power through you and changing you so that you could become one of our species. When it sensed that you were offlining, it sent a surge of power through you to keep you alive and effectively forced you to change."

My processors felt... hot. My mind was swirling with the new information. A gentle servo touched the side of my helm.

"Ratchet I think you made her glitch! Her helm feels hot like Prowl's does when he glitches!" I heard Blue say in a panic.

I gently smacked his servo to get his attention.

"I'm fine... just gobsmacked."

His optics dimmed for a moment in confused before they brightened. "OOOOH. Okay."

I raised an eyebrow- _optic ridge_ \- in amusement. _Okay that auto correcting thing is gonna get annoying really fast...-Processor updating-_. I growled lowly as it corrected me again. _Smart aft processor.. .oh that's great now I'm calling my subconsciousness a smart aft as if it's sentient!_ I suddenly felt the growing urge to face palm, but I fought the urge.

"So you think that this... this _thing_ has been keeping me online?"

"This _thing_ is our race's creator!"

I winced at the angered expression of Ratchet. I would have to tread carefully if I didn't want a wrench to the helm.

"I didn't mean it like that Ratchet... I'm just saying... why _me_?" The room was silent for a good minute before broken by the mech behind me.

"Maybe because you're a femme and the Autobots need femmes?"

I slowly raised an optic ridge and turned to look at him.

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" I saw the way he froze and looked to Ratchet then back at me. He raised his servos up with a nervous expression.

"I... well I-I-I... don't be angry! It's true!"

I flared my wings with a sudden feeling of vulnerability. I don't know where it came from, but I felt suddenly... _very_ scared! As if the two mechs in the room would harm me. I tensed up and felt myself sink back into my mind, an odd but familiar feeling of terror taking over.

I heard Ratchet distantly telling Bluestreak to back off from me. Heard him murmur something about femme protection codes activating. I lunged from the berth, my legs tangling and tripping. I hit the ground with a loud crash. My processors whirling and trying to find a sense of balance. I looked up, everything felt threatening towards me. I drug myself under the berth and curled into a protective ball, my wings quivering. _They only wanted to use me for children? -sparklings- Sparklings... they only wanted... only wanted... only... o-only..._ Everything darkened as I glitched.

When I came to, I found myself to still be curled up under the berth. When I onlined my optics all I saw was a pair of intense blue optics staring at me. I jumped and felt my wings slam into the top of the berth, a loud wail of pain escaping from my lips. Pain lanced across my sensors, heavy and powerful. My vision flickered, coolant flooding my optics.

"Bumblebee! Don't scare the poor thing!" I heard someone snarl.

Bumblebee pulled away and emitted warbling beeps and chirps looking guilty. My cooling fans kicked on as I tried to vent, a black and white mech similar to the one named Prowl that I had met entered my view. He had a visor over his optics and seemed bemused.

"Hey there lil lady. Ya gonna come out or is someone gonna have ta drag ya out?"

I blinked in surprise at his accent but tensed. _I wasn't coming out! Those mechs were already planning to force themselves on me!_ As if reading my thoughts he spoke in a dry voice.

"We ain't gonna hurt ya lil lady. We ain't Cons."

He seemed sincere. He even _sounded_ sincere… like he really meant that, but there was no way that I could believe him. I looked at him suspiciously. I was prepared to tell him and his accent to go frag off when I picked up the scent of someone I knew, the scent of Blue.

My rational side screamed at me to go back out there, but my irrational side ruled by my fear told me to stay. I was conflicted with no small amount of embarrassment. There was a sigh as the mech scooted back.

"She ain't comin out."

"Frag it all to the pit Jazz! Drag her out!"

"An' what'? Mentally scar tha poor thing more than she already is?"

I winced at the tones, wondering if I should just come on out when the berth was suddenly lifted up as if it didn't weigh anything. I looked up slowly to see the mech called Ironhide. He was holding it up with one servo, his optics intense. I let out a squeak and curled into a tighter ball, shivering.

"Why's she so scared?" Jazz rumbled.

"Bluestreak just _happened_ to mention something he shouldn't have."

"Don't 'e always? He can't keep 'is mouth plates shut for nuthin!"

"Hey! I resent that!"

"Silence!"

The new voice was calm, almost robotic, collected, and severe. I peaked through my arms to see the mech, Prowl, walking toward me, his door wings flared. Something in me recognized the look. This mech was strong and powerful, he could protect me from these mechs.

"What are you doing Prowler?"

"It is Prowl, not Prowler. If you have not noticed the femme is currently terrified. Perhaps showing brute strength and constantly continuing to pursue her is not the best way to approach. In this state she would be looking for someone calm to relax her instincts."

"Ya mean her internal programin' tellin' her we're all a threat?"

"Yes, Jazz. That is _exactly_ what I am stating."

"Now dat's just cold."

I looked up to see Ratchet and Jazz watching me. I couldn't see Bluestreak but I knew he was there. Suddenly the black and white mech, Prowl, was kneeling before me. I curled into a tighter ball with a soft squeak. A gentle servo was softly placed on my helm, touching my chevron.

"It is very illogical for you to be afraid of us, we will not harm you. Autobots do not harm femmes."

I slowly looked up. _They don't?_ My optics locked with his and I found myself relaxing and looking around the med-bay in confusion.

"What am I doing on the floor?" I murmured quietly, processor reeling.

"You ran from us after Bluestreak foolishly mentioned his thoughts." Ratchet said dryly.

I looked around and spotted Bluestreak looking at the floor dejectedly. I slowly uncurled, my wings twitching.

Glancing up at Prowl as he stood and walked off with a miffed expression, I forced myself to get on my knees and then slowly stand. My body didn't want to stand, forget about walking, but I forced myself to do it. My balance sensors were going haywire, my wings flicking every which way as I made my way to Bluestreak.

"You okay?"

"I didn't mean to frighten you! I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking about how it was going to sound! I just meant that with the number of femmes being so low that maybe the Cube turned you into one ya know? I'm sorry that I offended you! I'm so sorry!"

I was extremely confused and didn't really follow his rant, but I bot the basic message. He was sorry. I smiled weakly.

"No it's my fault... I just... reacted... based off of past experience." The only thing I could think of was what those men had done to me. Suddenly his expression looked even guiltier. _Maybe I should work on my comforting skills._

"Great... I made you remember what your sire and those glitched out fraggers did to you! I'm a horrible mech! Primus..."

I winced and tried to think about how to get him to relax. Nothing came to mind. He kept talking, going on and on about how horrible he was. Finally, I couldn't take him beating himself up anymore. Leaning forward I grabbed his jaw and kissed him on the cheek.

He shut up. I heard the door close distantly as the others left awkwardly. I paid no mind as gentle servos slowly lifted up grab my shoulders. The kiss was awkward to say the least. I'm not sure why I did it, or even what made me do it… but what's really weird, is that somehow… I didn't regret it. Heat burned up through my core, my cooling fans kicking on to cool me down. He looked as disoriented as I felt.

"I won't apologize for the kiss 'cause it would be a lie, but it was my fault." I murmured softly. His optics burned into my own with a serious look I hadn't seen on him before.

"Don't blame yourself." He whispered, his servos tightening on my shoulders.

"Then don't beat yourself up." I snapped snarkishly. We had a mini glaring contest for a minute then two before we both glanced away. I pulled away from him and wrapped my arms around myself. He was gazing at me quietly, his optics softening.

"Fine. I don't beat myself up and you won't blame yourself."

I smirked. "Deal." Now that that was over I had just one thought on my mind: _Where the frag could I get some armor? I was freezing my slagging aft off._


	12. Chapter 12

My lips tingled with that kiss, it lingered on my lip components. It had been so intense and so full of emotion, but it had also been an entire week ago.

I hadn't seen much of Bluestreak since then. I've been stuck in the med-bay with Ratchet downloading packets of information into my processors. I felt like my helm would explode.

As of right now that's where I sat… err laid. He was standing over me with that usual intense gaze, as if he might strangle me at any second for being a nuisance.

He slid open an arm panel on his greenish-yellow armored wrist and pulled out a cord. It looked like sort of like a USB type cable, the same one he's been plugging up to my systems with. He silently lifted up my helm and manually opened a small area near the base of my neck.

It always made me nervous when he did this. It was apparently normal for medics if they needed to get to a bot who was having memory loops, which I had been told was torturous, and for other things such as firewall updates and update packets.

I felt something click and then my consciousness was being intruded by the rather volatile medic. The one thing that always soothed me however, is that he always used a very large amount of self control when connected to my processors; he was always surprisingly gentle no matter how slagged off he was.

Thinking about it I figured that it was because he was in another's mind, he couldn't very well hurt them without major damage to the bot and serious repercussions to him. I felt him digging around, a rather uncomfortable feeling if I do say so myself. It was like an itch you couldn't reach.

Something clicked, my memory core downloading some new information. Everything flashed across my vision, notes on the sensor nets of door wings, chevrons, horns, where the neural nets on bots were and something about interfacing. It was brief and I didn't understand what it all meant.

Ratchet retreated from my mind and unplugged himself. I suddenly felt exhausted and powered down. _Slaggin' medic and his updates! I hate rebooting!_

 **Energon: 50% capacity**

 **Memory Core: 16%... 30%... 89%... 100% uploaded.**

 **Activating memory core.**

 **Information packet installation complete.**

 **Status: Online**

 **Function capacity: 50%**

I groaned and onlined my optics. A sigh came through my vents in a huff. Even with everything going on I was proud to say that I was adapting to being a Cybertronian quite well... even if I usually wanted to choke the medic in the process.

Sitting up I rubbed my helm warily. I glanced up and jumped, Ironhide stood there with some pieces of metal in his arms. He walked over and silently put them down beside me on the berth.

"What's that?"

"Your armor." He stated in a gruff and blunt tone.

I was curious. Tilting my helm I watched him in interest.

"How did you get it?" He suddenly looked up at me like I was an idiot. I inwardly cringed.

"I made this armor, it's a basic armor that will adjust to fit your dimensions."

"Oh…" Was my oh so intelligent response.

"This type of armor is flexible and will morph with you into the alt mode you pick, hence why it's basic armor."

"So... it'll fit out to be my alt. mode?"

"Yes."

"Cool!" I grinned and he rolled his optics.

"Just hold still."

I frowned in confusion until I realized why he asked that. He picked up what looked like metal cuffs and with surprisingly gentle servos clamped them onto my wrists.

The exposed delicate wires, energon lines, and neural net were now hidden behind the armor. It wasn't that thick, maybe three inches of some heavy and dense silver metal. Next he held some pieces over my forearms, they instantly connected.

 _That's right... one of Ratchet's packets mentioned our natural EM fields that held our armor to our bodies._ Other armor bits that covered my upper arms, thighs, and calves all snapped into place. He manually placed some pieces over my joints to protect them.

He placed flexible smaller plates over my abdomen, they were soon clicking in place, the same treatment was acted out on my back. Ironhide picked up some small, yet _very_ dense plates and let them snap over my helm.

There was more than a dozen and they were all slightly spiky, especially around my cheeks where they spiraled out gently to frame my face in carved swirls of strong metal. He grunted and inspected his work briefly before picking up the last bits of metal.

"This one will feel weird."

I was about to ask why when I realized the reason. The plates started padding over my wings; they were tingling and electrifying drawing a faint noise from the back of my throat. I couldn't decide if it was a moan of pain or pleasure.

After a few moments my wings were as well protected as the rest of my body. I looked up shyly to the gruff weapon specialist who was again inspecting his work before seeming to nod to himself.

"Thank-you. For the armor."

He looked down at me, surprise flickering faintly in his old war hardened optics. The scar over his right optic making him extremely intimidating.

"You're welcome. Once you're comfortable enough to move around I'm going to start working with you on weapon training."

I swallowed and nodded. A part of me was grateful that he was going to do that, the other part was screaming out that he would kill me.

Once he left I sagged in on myself. A soft sigh, barely audible, passing my lips plates. I looked up and glanced around, Ratchet wasn't in here. A slow smirk crossed my face plates. He was probably in his office or off chasing someone for not coming in for their check up.

Sliding from the berth I winced when I stumbled, my door wings flailing in the attempt to gain balance. Shaking my head at the disoriented feeling, I slowly put one foot _-pede-_ in front of the other. I made my way slowly toward the med-bay door, my wings flicking every which way.

I wasn't picking up on any disturbances in the air, like Ratchet, but that didn't mean anything. _Primus I sound like Yoda from Star Wars. A disturbance in the force there is!_ I started giggling as I thought of Ratchet being Darth Vader. I started laughing to myself, my wings shaking as I tried to be quiet.

"What ya gigglin bout?"

I jumped and tried to turn around only for my pedes to catch on something. I yelped would have hit the floor, if it weren't for the strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist. I slowly onlined my optics to see Jazz bent over me to keep me from hitting the ground, our hips almost touching in a not so innocent way.

The slow grin that spread across his face told me he knew both my thoughts and the decidedly compromising position. I gasped and pulled away from him as fast as I could, my pedes tangling and my frame heating up in embarrassment.

I stared at him long and hard with my best 'death glare'. He raised his servos up innocently, as if he hadn't been doing anything wrong.

"Ya alrigh' lil lady?" I scowled at him.

"Peachy."

"Ah wasn't tryin' nuthin. Ah would never steal another mech's femme. Ain't my style."

I frowned growing suspicious. For all his easy going pretenses, something told me this mech was a tough nut to crack.

"What _is_ your style then Jazz?"

He smirked and darkened half his visor in a wink. "Ya will have ta figure _that_ out for yaself."

I scowled as he turned and stocked off. I huffed and whirled around, slamming into a frame. I let out a soft 'oomf' and looked up. Bluestreak blinked and grinned impishly.

"Hi." He said softly, raising up a servo to place it behind his helm.

"Hey…" I murmured awkwardly. He smiled and offered me his servo. I looked down at his servo then up at his chassis. A meek smile crossing my face-plates as I placed my servo into his strong grip.

Not for the first time did I realize how tiny I was compared to the others, I just barely came up to the undercarriage of Bluestreak's chassis; and he wasn't even one of the bigger ones! He smiled brightly when I took his extended servo, gently leading me out of the hallway and into the human area. There I saw some lined up vehicles.

"Ratchet mentioned you would probably try to sneak off again, and that if I saw you I should just go ahead and get you your alt. Saves him the trouble I guess... not that you're a burden! No! I-"

I giggled and kissed his cheek plating again. He went quiet and gazed down at me again. I smiled sweetly, with a hint of shyness playing at my lips. He grinned impishly and led me over to the cars.

There were four of them, three were some type of truck, box car, or energy converter. The last one on the left however _seriously_ caught my attention.

It was sleek, a soft green color with black and white accents. I approached it and looked it over; I knew it was a Ferrari Dino Concept, because I had almost drooled on myself when I had seen a picture in one of the many car magazines that the boys always brought to school. It looked fast enough to catch a jet and eat it for lunch. I looked back to see Blue, his expression was totally innocent… as if that could fool me.

I raised an optic ridge knowing he _somehow_ finagled this. I don't know how, but he did. Setting my optics on it, I activated one of the information packets that told me how to scan it.

A second later I felt a tingling sensation run through me as I scanned the vehicle's front, sides, back, and top. I could feel my armor thicken marginally, the pieces shifting and melting into the intricate design that would come together to create the vehicle.

I looked myself over to see the beautiful green coloration was now my armor color, accents of white and black streaked along my wings and helm. I looked back up to see Bluestreak staring at me, as if I was some sort of goddess. A giggle came forth as I bounded over to him, all the while keeping my sensors sharp for humans.

"Yes or no?"

"Yes. You're beautiful! You're so sexy now! You look absolutely incredible!" Suddenly his cheek plates turned a darker hue causing me to laugh. _He is just too cute._

 **Bluestreak POV**

I was walking down the hall when I spotted Autumn. She seemed flustered for some reason, that reason was probably the retreating back of Jazz. A growl rumbled up through my chassis, reverberating through my vocal processor and making my wings twitch. I sucked in a breath to calm myself and continued my approach to Autumn.

"Hi." I murmured gently, hoping I wouldn't startle her to much; the thought made me cringe. Placing a servo behind my head in awkward embarrassment I observed her.

"Hey..." She finally murmured in her ever so soft voice. I shivered internally trying to ignore the pulsing along my circuits. _That's ungentlemechly..._ I thought with an internal frown.

I offered her my servo with a soft smile. She glanced from my servo to my face-plates before finally taking it. My smile grew. I gently lead her down the hallways and into the main hanger where a line of vehicles sat.

"Ratchet mentioned you would probably try to sneak off again, and that if I saw you I should just go ahead and get you your alt. Saves him the trouble I guess... not that you're a burden! No! I-"

I froze at the feeling of silken lips caressing my cheek plates, my rambling silenced in awe of her delicate frame. I could hear her giggle, that sweet soft, silky laughter. I smiled impishly and led her over to the four vehicles.

The three that the humans had picked out were distasteful in absolutely every way. No femme in her right processor would choose _any_ of those! It made all of us mechs horrified and astounded they would even _think_ to do such a thing.

I had spoken with Prime about it and finagled in a new sports car; it was sleek and built for speed. Perfect for a young femme. When she glanced back at me with a knowing look, her optic ridge even raised, I carefully made sure my expression was innocent. It didn't seem to fool her, femmes were never deceived. I huffed at the thought.

Autumn circled the vehicles until she glanced at the one that I had gotten in for her. She seemed to have some trouble accessing the files for her scanning processors. Not for the first time it reminded me that she wasn't sparked a Cybertronian, it made me all the more determined to help her fit in.

It also made me that much more determined to eventually make her mine. It would boil down to her choice on who she chose, but I wanted to make her mine to be able to cherish her and give her the world. My wings flicked bringing me out of my thoughts as I looked up to see her. I froze, my cooling fans kicking on.

 _By Primus... it should be illegal for how sexy and adorable she is!_ I blushed even more at my thoughts. She suddenly giggled and tilted her helm.

"Yes or no?" She said sweetly.

"Yes. You're beautiful! You're so sexy now! You look absolutely incredible!" I froze and blushed further, my cooling fans kicking up a notch. She immediately started laughing, but I could tell she wasn't laughing at me to be mean or cruel, it was more like delicately surprised. I grinned and gently took her servo.

"Let's get you back to med-bay before Ratchet hunts me down and beats me with his wrench."

She nodded, but that smile I oh so loved never left her lips. I couldn't help but to smile in turn. _How should I go about courting her...? I highly doubt she'd understand the Praxian ritual... but I could try._ My optics hardened in determination. I would show her that I loved her, one way or another.


	13. Chapter 13

I sat in the med-bay as usual sipping on the cube that Ratchet had given me. The med-bay had become my indefinite quarters until they could set up a room for me. I personally didn't mind seeing as no mechs in their right mind would hit on me with Ratchet standing there (I.E. the twins Mudflap and Skids whom had just recently arrived). The only problem in my mind was that I was taking up room; sure the med-bay was spacious, but I couldn't help but feel like a burden.

I stared down into my cube of fuel, not for the first time reflecting on my position. About what I was to do, about what they would do with me. The door to the bay opening and the SIC walking in certainly wasn't what I was expecting however, to both my questions and who I hoped was going to walk in that is.

My wings fluttered and sunk on my back. His icy, blue, calculating optics followed the movement before lifting to my own. I noticed his rigid wings, just like mine and Blues-he even had a crimson chevron. He gave a single twitch of his wings and suddenly my optics were on them. Ratchet had downloaded some packet on wing reading into my processors, apparently my kind… Praxians that is, could communicate through their wings.

I was still new at it so I wasn't sure what they were saying, however I did know that the rigid flick from before was a tense greeting. I slowly lifted my own smaller ones and gave a soft timid flick in turn. His optics followed the movement.

"My designation is Prowl, and you are Autumn I presume?"

I tilted my helm nervously and unconsciously flicked my wings up rigidly. I wasn't sure what he wanted, he was making me anxious with that cold calculating look. It was like he was waiting for me to do something stupid so that he could prove a point.

"Y-yes..."

"We were introduced briefly before, I am the SIC- second in command that is." I nodded tentatively not really sure what he wanted. I flicked my wings nervously, his optics again following the movement.

"You give yourself away much too easily."

I frowned in confusion, as I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"A Decepticon door winger or a Seeker would know instantly how nervous you are, how timid and prone to getting injured you are."

I looked up at him with wide optics. _That's right... he's a more experienced door-winger than I am... He knows the language of the wings just as much as Blue._

I swallowed and tried to hold them still like he was. A smirk graced his features telling me I was epically failing.

"M-much t-to wo-work on?" I stuttered out. He dipped his helm to me.

"Yes. Optimus has designated me to be your teacher. You are to obey me at all times, understood."

My optics were wide, a shaky nod was his only answer, but that was apparently all he needed. He dipped his helm to me and then he was gone again. That was when it hit me… the _Second In Command was going to be my teacher_! I was done for… I knew it. I think the only reason I didn't have an all out panic attack right there and then, was because he had left. I already knew we were on an island out in the middle of an ocean, and that meant there was no where for me to hide from him. That alone scared the slag out of me.

"Holy frag... that mech is slagging scary as pit!" I cried out to the empty room, well I had originally thought it was empty.

"You get used to it." I jumped and fell backwards off the berth with a loud clang.

"Slaggit Ratchet!"

XXX

It was nighttime _-lunar cycle-_ when I onlined. I looked around blearily and found myself to be alone, it was dark and silent. I quietly sat up and slid from the berth. _Maybe I can test out my wheels..._

A slow grin crossed my lip plates at the thought. Ever since I had gotten my alt mode, which was only two days ago, I hadn't gotten to test it out. I had the information packets from Ratchet, but he didn't want me to test it out until I had somebot to go with me.

Now I realized it would probably be Prowl, and if that scary tight aft mech was going with me I wanted to make sure I could drive first and then go. I mean, who knows if I'll have to run... err… drive away _really_ fast or not?

I knew my logic was flawed, but I really wanted out and driving gave me the perfect excuse. With quiet steps I slowly maneuvered my way out of the med-bay and into the halls.

I glanced around and didn't see anyone, so with the cautiousness of a mouse, I slowly made my way to the main hanger using the route that Blue had shown me. Once there I made sure no humans could see me before moving out into the sands.

The island air was warm; the salty tang was something I hadn't tasted in a long time. Even as a sentient alien machine it was appealing. My vents were filled with the scent, my optics dimming in pleasure.

There was something about the outdoors that had always called to me. Every place was so different! Every place so unique! A smile graced my lips as I reluctantly onlined my optics to full capacity.

Trudging through the sands in silence, I made my way to the huge tarmac with a long landing air strip that glimmered inky charcoal-gray under the intense blue-black sky. The stars brilliant and shimmering everywhere like the light reflected off the ocean on a warm summer day.

Looking down at the tarmac quietly, I then glanced around one more time with a nervousness characteristic to a puppy doing something it knew it wasn't supposed to. I pushed through my processor looking for the specific command that would activate my transformation cog.

A startled gasp left my lips as I felt my frame folding in on myself. My abdomen crunched inward, chassis and shoulders pushing forward to create the front of the vehicle. My legs bent inward, the wheels popping out from my knees and hitting the ground as my elbows did the same.

My helm tucked into the front of the vehicle, lastly my wings flicked down into the doors of the sleek Ferrari. Experimentally I revved my engine, startling myself with the loud roar it gave off. I revved again and lowered to the ground with a huff of my vents.

Twisting my wheels to get a feel of their range of motion I slowly jerked forward before halting, my engine snarling and rumbling. A gentle croon emitted from me as excitement raced to my tires. I revved once more before hitting the throttle, my tires burning rubber on the tarmac for a brief moment and then I shot forward.

All the while my engine was snarling and roaring like a vicious carnivore on the hunt. I pulled a sharp turn and emitted an excited squeal when I accidentally slid around a planes wing. The sound of a police siren behind me made me stall somewhat. _Oh slag no!_ I gave a snarl of my engine and tore off faster, pushing the limits of how much my systems could take.

I felt surprisingly _free_ , a thrill sweeping throughout my being as I raced away from the cop car in my mirrors. _Prowl..._ I snarled again, engine heating up faster as I raced away from him and tore into the hanger.

I swerved around the few humans that were up at this hour and transformed in front of med-bay. I could hear the sound of heavy pede falls behind me. Running into the med-bay I quickly slipped into a berth and pretended to be asleep.

I had _never_ had so much fun in my entire existence. The med-bay door slammed open as the SIC came through, a snarl on his lips as I looked up blankly.

"What makes you think you can practice out there? Then you have the audacity to _run_ from me!" I sat up and lifted one wing in a shrug.

"I was practicing." His optics narrowed dangerously. A part of me piped up at the idea that _maybe_ I shouldn't slag him off, but I brushed it off as paranoia.

"You _do_ _not_ practice without someone there to watch you!" He snarled at me.

He was livid by now, but I couldn't bring myself to be meek. Instead I did something I had never done before in my life. I stood up for myself.

"I'm an adult! I can take care of myself! Oh I'm sorry Prowl, Oh so sorry that I didn't ask for your permission!" I could hear his engine rev, his wings rising up and framing his face in a harsh 'V' shape.

"You are not acting like an adult; you are acting like a spoiled sparkling." He snapped it angrily making me bristle.

"Why should I listen to you?!"

"I'm the Second In Command! I give orders under Optimus Prime as his appointed SIC _and_ helm tactician! You _will_ listen to me!"

My optics narrowed, wings flicking tensely. "No." His optics narrowed dangerously yet again. I wasn't gonna listen to this mech, no matter how much he yelled and screamed at me. He reminded me of all the people whom had ordered me around all my life, and I was sick of it.

"What?" His voice was calm and chilling.

I knew I shouldn't have pushed any further than I had. I mean for Primus sake, he's my appointed _teacher_ ; but I just had to do it.

"I don't listen to slaggers like you." I saw the way his lip plates pressed together and I knew it was bad news. His gleaming crimson chevron made him look even more angry, even more dangerous.

I suddenly realized why he was the second in command. _Oh slag... I've been talking to the SIC... like... like that? Oh no..._

I looked up at him wearily and held my wrists up in a cuff pose. My door wings were shivering and had sunk low on my back, my resolve long gone under that stare.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done it." My words were but a whisper as I ducked my helm. It was silent for a few minutes before I felt servos wrap around my wrists. I flinched and looked up wearily to see Prowl, staring at me with an intense expression that could rival Ratchet.

"Brig. Now."

His tone was cold, his expression was neutral again. I didn't know what the Brig was, but I found out soon enough. It was a place I never wanted to go _ever_ again.

XXX

If a robot could sulk I would be the perfect example, cause I was getting to that point. A pout adorned my lips as I glared at the floor. _Damn Prowl and his fragging rules... I didn't do anything... okay so I ran from him, shoot me!_

I scowled, baring my denta at nothing really. My wings flexed and my armor puffed up with a flare, distantly I thought it reminded me of a dog raising its hackles.

The sound of a door opening and closing was what caught my attention. I looked up silently to watch the new twins, Mudflap and Skidplate, being dragged into the brig by Ironhide. He threw them, literally, into different cells.

I felt my wings quiver in slight apprehension as those intense indigo optics landed on me. If I didn't know any better I'd say that they softened just the slightest bit, before the gruff warrior mask came back to hide the look.

He snorted and stormed out leaving me with the immature horrors that had been plaguing me since the week started. A groan left my lips as one of them- _Mudflap?_ -I thought distantly, opened his mouth plates.

"Hey look Skids, it's tha' perty femme!"

"Well I'll be slagged!"

"Eh, sweet thang!" _I swear if he so much-_ A long low wolf whistle left his lip plates before I could finish the thought. Anger burned within me along with disgust.

"Shut it!" I snarled aggressively.

"Oh Fis'ey!"

"S'e _li'es_ us!"

"Li'es _me_ ya twit."

"Shut it! No femme wo' li'e ya ugly aft!"

"We're twins stupid!"

 _And so the bickering begins._ I thought bitterly. My optic twitched as anger filled me to the brim. _When I get out of here Prowl is_ so _dead!_

The sneer that adorned my lips I know could not have looked very nice. The snarl that followed after rumbled throughout the brig, my optics glowing brilliantly.

The twins were thankfully silenced, but not for long. When they weren't bickering and acting like complete morons they kept trying to hit on me. _When I get out, I'm gonna kill them._ I thought darkly.

A part of me knew I shouldn't think like that, but the other part crooned and fueled the flame with images fit for the Devil's warped mind. A cruel smile curling my lips.

 **Neutral POV**

Door wings tensed as Prowl paced the hanger, his optics dark in thought. Luckily for the humans they kept out of his way or else he might of stepped on them, as he was so engulfed in his thoughts he didn't register they're presence.

"Prowl-" Optimus began.

"With all due respect Optimus, why did you pair me with the femme? She is insubordinate and I swear to Primus that she does not comprehend what a chain of command is!" He whirled around to stare at Optimus, his wings tense with faint quivers.

"She is illogical!" He spat in the looming silence. Normally he wouldn't act like this to his leader, but it was times like this that he couldn't take the stress. It was _The Ark_ all over again, but one femme instead of the pit-spawned duo.

"Prowl." Optimus rumbled in a warning tone. Prowl paused and looked up at Optimus wearily, as if just realizing whom he was speaking with.

"I apologize for my outburst, but I do have enough evidence to prove that perhaps she-"

"She is young Prowl. She is not familiar with a chain of command seeing as she has never been part of the military."

"That does not excuse her behavior." He hissed quietly. His optics on Optimus'.

"Be patient with her old friend, she has been through much."

"We have been through much as well and you do not see _us_ acting like sparklings." Optimus sighed and pinched the bridge of his olfactory-senses. His SIC had a point, a very valid point. He couldn't deny that.

"Have you looked at her files?" Optimus finally said once he was sure he had his temper under control. His voice sounding every bit of being weary as he felt. Prowl sighed and shook his helm.

"No sir. I have not."

"Look into her files and _then_ come speak to me. You will then have a much better understanding of her motives." It was times like this when Optimus wished Smokescreen was here.

Prowl gave a curt flick of his wings and turned to leave. He knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"Prowl." He paused and turned to look at Optimus respectively.

"I chose you for a reason; I trust you will find that reason soon enough." Prowl frowned and left the hanger. He silently rubbed his crimson chevron, a helm ache starting to pound through his processors.

Carefully walking over and around humans he stalked to his office. He knew that he had data-pads on every bot here on the base, even on the bots who weren't on base yet, so it was only logical to assume he would have information on their newest comrade, Autumn.

Sifting through his extensive files he found the one he was looking for. He paused and for the first time in his long existence he actually felt like he was intruding on someone else privacy. He scowled and pushed the notion from his processor.

 _It is illogical to think that, it is my job to know everything about everyone. How else would I put them into my statistics and decide who to put into what post in battle?_ Prowl thought calmly, pondering his own rhetorical question. He onlined the data-pad silently, the blue screen lighting up and filled with Cybertronian text.

 **Designation: Autumn**

 **Function: Unknown**

 **Faction: Autobots**

 **Gender: Femme**

 **Height: 15.5 ft. (4.6990 M )**

 **Weight: 500 lb's (226Kg 796.17g)**

 **Alt: Ferrari Dino Concept**

 **Coloration: Green.**

 **Accents: white and black.**

 **Medical data: Unstable conscious. Possible mood glitch. Signs of past neglect, severe physical abuse.**

Suddenly Prowl stopped reading his optics focused on the medical data. Neglect... abuse? He felt something heavy weigh down his spark, his tank churned uneasily.

Prowl's battle computer came online to filter the emotions so that he wouldn't glitch. Optics focusing back on the data in front of him he slowly walked around his desk and sank into his chair.

 **History: Not much known. Sire is an alcoholic, carrier not around. Assumption: Carrier offline.**

Prowl frowned at that. Her carrier had offlined, and the medical standpoint showed evidence of abuse and neglect. _Did her sire take it out on her?_ He felt a familiar rage sweep through his spark for a moment before his battle computer filtered it out.

His optics narrowed dangerously. _It would be safe to assume that if such is the case, it would explain her reactions in the med-bay. It would also explain why she was so hostile towards me._ Another frown on his part and a tense flick of his wings before his optics zeroed back in on the scrawling Cybertronian text.

 **Autobot Ratchet scanned memory cog while femme Autumn was in stasis. Found numerous video files of abuse: mental, emotional, physical. Found forming glitch.**

Prowl winced internally, he wished a glitch on no bot. He and Redalert were prime examples of more... severe cases. Redalert more so than he. Those were the only things written about her history if you could call it that.

Prowl himself had been abused as a sparkling before the medics found out what his creators were doing to him. Luckily he had been taken by the Praxus enforcers and put into a Youth Sector before the damage could get too bad, but he had still ended up with a glitch.

He frowned to himself. _Had the femmeling not escaped very quickly? Had she still been in her sire's clutches until his fellow Autobots found her?_ The idea did not sit well with him.

"Finally take da initiative an' read 'er file Prowler?" He scowled at the 'nick name' and looked up to see his long time friend leaning in the door way to his office.

"First off: my designation is Prowl, not Prowl _er._ Secondly: I have the right to know about the bots under my command." His voice was cool, calm, and as always calculatingly collected.

"Prowl. She ain't some regular bot. Ya read 'er file. _You_ know it, an so do ah." Prowl stared at his long time friend, Jazz, as he stalked into the room. He shut the door and dropped his accent, he only ever did that when he was being completely serious.

"She isn't some bot that can be ordered around. It took Bluestreak a month to even gain enough of her trust to allow him to touch her servo. She's a special case, like old Redalert is." Prowls expression didn't change, his irritation creeping out through his vocal cords.

"I do not give special treatment to any bot Jazz."

"So you're going to treat her like every bot else? You're going to pretend that she hasn't gone through what you did? That's cruel even for you Prowl, and you know it! You're supposed to teach her how to be an Autobot! How, pray tell me, are you going to do that if she's fragging _scared_ of you!"

Prowl stood up and slammed his palms onto his desk, the metal trembling and leaving sizable dents. His optics were narrowed on Jazz, his best friend and TIC.

"She is not 'scared' of me and she will learn very quickly how to follow orders, or so help me _Primus_ the brig will become her permanent quarters." Jazz visor suddenly became brighter, illuminating the bottom half of his face plates.

"I'm disappointed in you Prowl. _Very_ disappointed. Until you can learn how to be a proper civilized mech don't bother talking to me; and so help _me_ Primus, if you hurt her any more than she has been I will _personally_ hunt you down and offline you _painfully_." Prowl stared at his friends back with growing ire.

"Is that a threat?" The growl in his tone couldn't be mistaken, the rumbling of his engine equally as loud.

"Nah, it's a promise." His accent came back into his voice, making him unreadable as ever, but the threat still remained clear. He turned and walked from his fellow black-and-white's office, slamming the door behind him with a finality that rang on many levels.

Prowl turned off the data-pad and slammed it down. He didn't normally get this aggressive, never this... slagged off. It was startling. His battle computer was trying to filter it but couldn't work fast enough.

"Primus, if I do not calm down I am going to glitch." He muttered faintly while rubbing his chevron in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. Blinking, he looked down at the data-pads before him. He had much to work on, and his _student_ still had three jours in the brig left to serve. _I might as well get started._ He couldn't shirk off on his duties, so with a sigh he picked up the first data-pad and began his work.

 **Autumn POV**

 _He's a primus forsaken-cold-sparked-glitch-faced-know-it-all, aaaand he's a prick!_ I thought with a snarl. The twins were trying to beat each other up through the energon bars, much to my immediate amusement and displeasure. Amusement because they were idiots and it gave her a break from their annoying attempts of hitting on her, displeasure because they were still being obnoxious.

"Ya' a gli'!"

"We twins stupid!"

"So! One o' us has ta be t'a glitch!"

"Den i's you!" I sighed and face palmed my servos. I had a massive helm ache just from _listening_ to the two idiots. _Primus... please strike me down..._ sadly nothing happened.

I groaned into my servos and let my engine snarl loudly at them. They instantly quieted, but then Skids _had_ to speak.

"Oh babah ya ca' sna' at me _anytime_!" I glowered at them and rolled onto my side, so my back faced them. I could _feel_ the concrete scuff my armor and strip the paint from my right side, but I couldn't really care less at the moment.

I was sulking in my own self pity. The mech that's supposed to teach me how to be an Autobot was someone that I had managed to piss off... in five minutes I might add. So I knew I was in for it when I got out. _He's... he's gonna be really mean and nasty._

My past encounters told me that. He'd hurt me... make me obey. I knew he would, my father always did that, and others had too. _Why would he be any different?_ _Perhaps if I just stay quiet and act like I'm no threat, maybe he'll let me be?_

The hopeful part of me was squished when I remembered his snarling face, the cruel bite of his words. The gleaming crimson of his chevron and the pristine white armor. The intensity of those optics... so... _intense_... like my father's eyes when he was inebriated. I shivered and let out a small keen.

 _"Why should I listen to you?!"_

 _"I'm the Second In Command! I give orders under Optimus Prime as his appointed SIC and helm tactician! You will listen to me!"_

I shivered at the memory, his optics... Primus they were intimidating and scary. The red chevron didn't help. _At least Bluestreak always has a smile to counteract the intimidating look. Prowl is always stoic you can never tell what he's thinking._ My wings shivered, another keen making itself known.

 _Why do I always have to be a bad femme... why do I always have to... to make others upset!_ All I could think about was his expression and his words.

 _"You are not acting like an adult, you are acting like a spoiled sparkling."_ I flinched as his voice permeated my consciousness. _He was right. I do act like a spoiled sparkling... I was an irritating nuisance. Did the others find me so? Oh Primus... d-does Bluestreak think that of me?_

I couldn't bear the thought. My spark ached with humiliation and anxiety. I lay there I don't know how long, well into the night cycle and past my designated let out. Even the twins got out. _Were they just going to leave me here?_

I shivered at the thought, but let the idea sink in. _I deserved it, deserved to be put in here and forgotten. Primus... I sound like such a whiny glitch._ My wings sunk lower on my back as night crawled over the base, causing the brig to become chillier than before.

I shivered as my internal heat sensors tried to online and keep me warm. I shuttered my optics and let myself offline into blessed recharge, sadly it didn't last long. A couple jours later I slowly came back online the sound of soft pede steps.

My wings, one resting on the ground and the other raised up slightly, picked up on the vibrations well before my audio receptors did. I kept my optics offline and allowed my internal programming to take over.

My wings stilled, going tense, as the pede steps came closer. The vibrations seeped into my wings and a picture slowly formed in my processor. It was a simple schematic, but it showed the outline of a mech. He wasn't as tall as some of the mechs, but not short by a long shot.

He was built lean and the schematics showed he was pretty powerful. My frame tensed as the outlined mech stopped in front of my holding cell.

"Autumn."

The calm voice was soft and gentle, a voice I knew very well. I slowly onlined my optics and turned to look at Bluestreak. His grayish armor was a silky silver-blue like a shimmering star. Sunshine didn't do him any justice at all.

I rolled over again paying no mind to my door wings, or my paint. My armor scraped across the ground as the paint on my left side was peeled away. My armor scuffing and probably looking horrible.

"I didn't find you in med-bay and decided to come here and see if you were still in the brig..."

His voice trailed off and for once he didn't ramble. I could see an odd look in his optics, as if he were afraid to say something offensive.

"Why?" I murmured the quiet word, but still it rang in the silence. My door wings sank lower on my back, scraping the ground painfully; but I didn't even care anymore. I noticed the way his lip plates pursed, his optics looking over me with an almost... sorrow tinged look. I wasn't sure why.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was soft, laced in concern.

"Prowl put me in here." I murmured and looked down. My back began to hurt with the way I was twisted. My hip plate on the cold concrete ground, servos balancing me, wings scraping the ground with every vent.

"I know that, but you should have been released _jours_ ago!" He snapped irritably.

I flinched and looked down. "Prowl is probably still slagged off at me..." I could see his bewildered expression; it sent a pang through my spark. I wasn't sure why, but the anger and confusion in his optics upset me more than I already was.

"Come on, you're not recharging in here. You should have been out long ago and Prowl doesn't have the right to treat you like this."

He made to push the button that would allow me about, but I stopped him. My servo slid daintily through the bar being as I was so thin and tiny.

"No... he left me here for a reason, let me stay here until he comes back! I don't want him angrier at me..." I noticed his suddenly _very_ angry expression and quickly jerked my arm back.

The energon bars stung my armored limb, pain flaring through me with a deep throbbing sensation. Scorched metal scented throughout the room as I cradled my arm to my chassis. I looked up to see Blue, his expression made my spark stop.

 _I haven't seen that angry of an expression in awhile, not since... not since Him._ That thought made me inch back away from the door, my wings pulling and scraping painfully and my already scuffed armor getting deep scratches and marks in it.

"I'm going to have a _very_ long _talk_ with Prowl." My optics widened as I tried to reach through the bars to him.

"Blue! Please, don't! I don't want you in trouble because of me, I'm not worth it!" I was on the verge of crying, as I spat the words desperately. In seconds he was crouched down on my level, his servos reaching through the bars and cupping my cheeks.

I could smell his armor burning, but he ignored it. My optics widened at the sudden dangerous look in them, a look I had never seen before. He had always looked so happy, so gentle. _He_ is _a soldier._ I had to remind myself, I had forgotten that completely. Forgotten that he has killed mechs. A shiver coursed through me.

"You are worth it! You are worth every drop of energon that will be spilt when I protect you from enemies. You are worth every star in the sky and more, worth more than every galaxy. So don't you _dare_ say you are not worth it!"

I shivered and stared up in fear at his suddenly snarling face plates. He pulled his servos away, his armor around his wrists melted and deformed. A sob threatened to leave me, as coolant pooled in my optics. It was all partly from fear of the darker side I had just witnessed and partly from shock as he defended me from myself. He turned and stormed out, his door wings stiff.

 **Bluestreak POV**

Anger surged through my spark, my wings stiff as I stomped from the brig. I had worked so hard to get her to the point where she would trust me, trust the others, and Prowl fragged up every bit of that effort.

I could care less that he was my older brother, that he was the SIC. Nobody, _nobody_ hurt my femme. The look in her optics pained me, shot me straight through the spark as effectively as a cannon. The pain was immense.

Her optics... they held so much fear, her words... oh Primus her words of self deprecation. My servos clenched tighter in my rage, I forced the bond between Prowl and I open. Smokey's I left closed, because I wasn't sure if he was even still online and I knew I wouldn't be able to bear the pain of him being offline.

For a moment I felt Prowl's confusion, then a sense of uncertainty and concern. I felt him push a sense of comfort toward me, trying to get me to calm down, but I refused to accept it. Storming to his office I slammed my fist against the lock, the door swishing open.

"Prowl!" My voice was but a growl, my wings tense.

"Bluestreak." That calm voice that I loved suddenly fragged me off, it brought on an ire that was quite frankly alarming.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I watched Prowl blink in slight confusion before his expression cleared.

"Ah, yes. I seem to have forgotten our guest in the brig."

My ire grew and shot through the bond aggressively. "What do you mean by _guest_? She is as much of a part of this faction, this base, as anyone else!" My engine was snarling with a guttural primal noise. I don't think I've ever been this upset, not even over loosing Praxus.

"Bluestreak, get a better attitude before you too end up in the brig for insubordination."

I felt like choking him, strangling him, offlining him and bringing his remains to Autumn to see if it pleased her. I realized with a jolt that my Praxian Mating Cog was online. I inwardly groaned but kept my furious gaze on him.

"It is not a bright idea right now to test me Prowl. Let. Autumn. Out. Now." I bit the words out; my fury could not be quenched. Prowl scowled and sent his own ire through the bond before standing up. His door wings flaring up in a high arch to frame his helm, creating an angry 'V' shape.

"Bluestreak. Stand down."

I snarled at my sibling, at the moment disgust was flowing through the bond toward him.

"No. I will not stand down! Do you know how long I've been working with Autumn to overcome the trauma of her past? You're ruining _all_ of my hard work by being a slagger! You're being no better than the Cons! Why are you mistreating her? She mouthed off to you, so what! Get over it! A lot of bots have done that and you've never treated them like this! Not in the slightest!"

I was heaving for cool air, my systems over heated causing my cooling fans to kick on to their highest setting. Prowl was silent, staring at me as if I had grown a second helm. For a second I felt guilt tinge the bond, but then he clamped down on it.

"Fine."

The word was clipped and cold; it made me all the angrier. As I followed him out. "How long has she been in that cell?" I snapped the words coldly, forcing him to keep the bond open so that he could feel my rage and worry.

"A full solar cycle and half a lunar cycle now."

A snarl graced the hallways from me, humans scattering. "You better hope to Primus that you did not harm her, or so help me..."

 **Prowl POV**

A sense of deja-vu swept through him when Bluestreak growled the words. Prowl frowned, feeling his youngest sibling's rage and worry. He hadn't intentionally forgotten about her, he would never deliberately take out his ire on another bot; especially a femme.

After reading the data-pad he had gotten a few solar cycles ahead on his work, vorns of working on _The Ark_ made him proficient at getting the work done fast. Then he had gone to speak with Prime.

 _His pede steps made the ground tremble only slightly as we walked carefully around the humans. Stalking into the main hanger, his stiff wings flicking a tense greeting to Prime as he walked over._

 _"Prime."_

 _"Prowl, did you read the data-pad?"_

 _"Yes sir."_

 _"Her past is quite disturbing, although it is not much different from yours, Smokescreen's and Bluestreak's."_

 _"I am... pensive on the idea that I may have brought forth unwanted memories. I know what a memory loop can do to a bot. My words were unwarranted and unjust toward her, I realize now that she runs off of emotion instead of logic. Logic dictates that I shall have to be more patient with her than most..." He almost missed the faint smile that pressed across Optimus' lip plates._

 _"It would be wise to move about her for now with caution, until she is used to us that is." Prowl nodded his helm with a sharp jerk. Optimus reached into his subspace and pulled out a data-pad, he handed it over silently._

 _"Ratchet wishes for you to look over these documents and see if you can come up with a peaceful agreement to get the humans to give us more supplies. He is running low again." Prowl nodded and respectively saluted before moving back to his office._

I had been so busy with his work that I had forgotten about the femme, I was long past being angry and now was faintly worried for her. When I and Bluestreak entered the brig, the two door-wingers walked down the small row of holding cells and stopped in front of one on the left.

I internally winced when he saw her scuffed armor, her delicate wings resting on the ground with her back facing the cell's door. She looked more like a victim of the cons than being stuck in a brig for punishment.

"Autumn." I spoke calmly, ignoring the accusing optics of my youngest sibling. I watched the young femme flinch and curl in on herself for a moment before slowly rolling over to face him.

Her armor scrapped the ground, more green paint decorating the cell. Her dainty door wings scraped the ground hard, just the sight of it made my own door wings ache in sympathetic response. I knew it had to absolutely excruciating, but she didn't even wince.

I reached out and pressed the code to unlock the cell door, the bars disappeared to allow her out. She was quiet and watched him with solemn optics, optics I have seen before. Her optics were those of the many bots that had been broken, a sight that yanked at his spark. That was when she moved back toward the far wall of the cell in fear. Then Bluestreak moved past me and held out his servo to her.

I watched silently seeing her flinch slightly before raising a petite servo to place in Bluestreak's own. My sibling stood and walked past me, his frame blocking the femme from my view.

I huffed softly and pressed a button, the bars flying back up into place. The ringing silence echoing a finality. _I have a lot to work on before the femme will trust me._ I thought before walking back to his office.

 **Autumn POV**

I shivered and staggered weakly, Blue's warm servos holding me up. Ratchet had mentioned that my body would be weak for a while as it adjusted to the new needs.

Bluestreak brought me to the rec room that the bots had gotten built, half of it was human sized and the other half built to accommodate our kind. He led me over to a table and gently settled me in a chair while he rushed off to get me some energon.

I shivered and looked around wearily. It's the first time I'd been here, I've been stuck in the med-bay since my transformation. A gentle servo stroking across my wing made me jump, but I instantly leaned into the touch. Pleasure shooting through my circuits. _Oh... oh now that feels..._ A soft purr made itself known.

The gentle servo let go of my wing, a cube being placed on the table. I looked up feeling utterly relaxed to see Blue was back. He smiled, amusement flickering in his optics. He had a cube of his own in his servo as he sat down in front of me. He took a sip of his cube as I weakly raised mine up.

I took a sip experimentally, rolling the liquid around my glossa. It was tangy and sweet like fresh blueberries. I swallowed the liquid and took a slightly larger swallow of it. I knew it wasn't very femme like, but Primus was I starving. My tanks were gurgling painfully, while a constant warning kept flashing across my vision.

 **Warning: Refuel.**

 **Energon levels: 19 %**

A grimace twisted my lips, but a gentle servo smoothing over my chevron relaxed me immensely.

"Are you alright?" It sounded like actual concern in Bluestreak's voice.

I looked up into Bluestreak's optics, the gentle blue tone was soothing. I couldn't help but to remember the way he had looked before. The snarl on his lips, his optics a deep angry indigo... I flinched slightly and offered a smile.

"Y-yeah... j-just sh-shaky..." I managed quietly. A brief flash of anger crossed his face, darkening his handsome features, then it was gone just as fast as it had come. Honestly, this new side I was seeing scared me.

"I'm sorry about my brother."

I choked on my energon, coughing as some of it entered my ventilation system.

"Brother?" I ground out in surprise.

"Yeah, Prowl is older than me, but we both are younger than Smokescreen. He's our older sibling. I love Smokey, he's awesome. He plays a lot of gambling games, and he always wins! Prowl hates that though, ya know? He's says that Smokey's a bad influence on me! I always say he isn't, but that's how Prowl is, he's a tight aft."

I giggled softly as he babbled on about his older sibling. I was surprised he had siblings, but warmth filled me when I realized that at least _one_ of his siblings will maybe not hate me. Maybe Smokescreen will like me... I can hope that at least...

I sipped my energon while listening to him go on about Smokescreen's and his occupation. So apparently while Bluestreak was a sniper and interrogator, Smokescreen was an interrogator and a psychologist. Lovely family. I smiled in amusement as he talked and told jokes, I already felt better than before.

"-and then there was this one time where Smokescreen got caught in one of the twins pranks! His face plates were hilarious, of course he got back at them later when he got them to start gambling with him! He managed to win their entire stash of high-grade!"

I wasn't sure what 'high-grade' was, but I got the notion that it was probably their version of alcohol. I laughed softly and placed my now empty cube on the table. Bluestreak offered me the last half of his politely.

"No, I'm fine really!" The look he gave me made my spark beat faster. It was a look of concern and worry.

"Seriously take it, I was just topping off. You've been an entire solar cycle and half a lunar cycle without energon. You need it more than I do."

I tried to deny it again, but he grabbed my small servos between his and wrapped my slender digits around his cube. I looked up silently as he gave me an intense look, like a hawk might eye a rabbit. It was intense and made me... blush?

"Take it." The words were soft and gentle; my resolve crumbling as I begrudgingly took it. He made me take the energon because the fragger _knew_ I needed it. I don't know how, but he did know. I slowly looked down into the cube and back up at him.

"Thank-you..." I murmured softly. He smiled and leaned forward, his warm lips molding against my own for a brief moment.

"You're quite welcome." He flashed me a dazzling smile.

 _I could get use to being fawned over._ I thought quietly, biting my lower lip I took a sip of the liquid. I felt my cooling fans kicked on when I noticed him watching my every movement. He was staring at me intently, his wings not even moving.

It was quite unnerving and yet at the same time exhilarating. I realized that I _wanted_ him to watch me, to inspect me inch by inch. My fans kicked up a notch. Unbeknownst to me, my engine rumbled lowly to him sounding much like a feline purring.

I twitched my wings slowly, his optics following the motion. Swallowing I realized what I was doing. It was a distant alarm in my helm, something primal that told me I was responding to his actions. I wasn't sure what that meant. Suddenly he stood up; I could feel the heat from his armor as he walked behind me, his wing delicately brushing mine.

"I should get you back to med-bay." He rumbled softly. His growling tone was husky and sent pangs of pleasure to my lower regions.

"You're probably right." I breathed softly, oh Primus how his servos worked wonders. They were gently drawing small circles over my wings, my engine purring lowly to him. Suddenly the administrations stopped, his breath huffing over my shoulder.

I realized that he had bent over me from behind, his lip plates grazing my throat. I shivered and let out a faint crooning noise, unconsciously shifting my legs apart. I could hear his groan as he backed off. I looked up semi confused.

An aching need burning between my legs. I grit my denta together and offlined my optics. _Primus... o-oh..._ It was a throbbing heat… one that I had never felt before.

"I'll get you back to med-bay so you can recharge." His voice was clipped and I knew, one look and I knew, that he was feeling the same way. I offered a weak smile and stood, a pang twisting in my abdomen and sinking lower.

"That's a smart idea." I said quickly and stood up. Downing the rest of the cube, I put both of them in the recycle bin and followed after him. He paused in step to allow me to catch up to him, his wing gently rubbing against mine.

Pleasure snipped at me, it was biting and hot, it begged for release. I tried to ignore it the best I could as he lead me to med-bay. He smiled and swooped in for a good night kiss, his lips burning against mine. It was innocent at first, but then he pressed closer.

His hips brushing up against mine, wings flared as he ran his servos over my own wings. The sensitive neural net on them screaming with agonizing pleasure. He gently brushed his glossa over my bottom lip, opening my mouth I allowed him to deepen the kiss.

He pressed even closer somehow until our chassis were pushed together, his servos holding my wrists and pinning them above my helm. My vents hitched softly when he shifted, our hips accidentally grinding together. I moaned lowly into the kiss and pressed for more, but he quickly backed off with a surprised look. I was panting, fans kicked up to as high as they would go.

"I'm sorry Autumn, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't mean to kiss me?" I whispered softly, my spark twisting.

"No, I'm not taking that back because I did mean that kiss. I'm apologizing because you're still too weak at the moment to be doing this and I was forcing you-" I suddenly smirked and pushed up against him, my arms wrapped around his hips while my face plates snuggled into his chassis"

"You weren't forcing anything." I could feel his nervous chuckle reverberate softly as he hugged me back.

"Maybe when you're not so frail alright?"

I scowled at being called weak, but I knew he was in the right to say that. "Kay..." I murmured it softly. He smiled and gently kissed my lip components and then backed off.

"Recharge well my spark."

"Recharge well." I answered softly while watching him walk off. I stared at his door wings, I couldn't help it. He held them so high, like a male bird displaying his bright feathers for the females.

The way they kept flicking and moving, catching the fluorescent light perfectly. I felt that need rise again and quickly shook my helm to disperse the fog.

 _What just happened?_ I thought as I turned and walked into med-bay. With a shaky sigh and a shake of my helm, I curled up on _'my'_ berth and fell into recharge swiftly.

 _ **Khalthar's Notes: I realize that if you compare this version to the original "Blue Autumn" posted by Dawn Racer, you will find far fewer chapters. That is because I have been editing and combining them into much longer chapters than they originally were. Sometimes as many as four short ones, to make one decent one. This is actually two chapters with the first, being very short, so I added it to the next. Please leave a review to let me know what you think of this. The Authors of this site do not get paid anything except a review. So the long hours of writing, rewriting, editing, and planning involved are not compensated by anything more than a review left by those who choose to do so. A few simple words is not so much to ask in return for the hours of reading pleasure that you the reader receives. Thank you.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Khalthar's Notes: Many of you are hoping to see Glitchmeister Galloway get a bit of comeuppance… be patient… he'll get what he deserves. Prowl will give him a bit of warning first though. Of course being Galloway, that won't be enough, so his attitude and mouth will get him in more trouble than he knows what to do with… the kind of trouble that will have him dealt with**_ **permanently** _ **! Also, there will be some other femmes later on… just be patient. Right now, I'm still editing, revising, and posting chapters from Dawn Racer; we haven't gotten to my stuff yet.**_

I came back online groggily feeling as if I'd been bashed in the helm by a _very_ angry Ratchet. A soft noise left me as I slowly sat up. My optics couldn't seem to focus for more than an astrosecond without burning intensely. I looked around wearily and froze.

"What the..." I picked up a small piece of metal off the floor, it was shimmering with many scratches. Around me were and odd assortment of shimmering objects, some were obviously worn from age and yet others were bright and new.

There was a total of five objects. The piece I just picked up was some type of sharp triangular bit of metal. The others were bits and bobs, a small orb that looked to be made of copper, a stainless steel knife without the handle and a small silver mirror. I liked the mirror the most, because it was encrusted with small little sapphires that glittered and sparkled brightly.

I put down the triangular piece and picked up the mirror, a soft croon leaving my lips. The sound was probably akin to how a pigeon might sound. I pensively glanced around before placing it in my sub-space. One of the many data-packets had explained its use and I found it _very_ useful at the moment.

Sliding down from the berth I stretched the kinks out of my muscle cords. Stepping over to the door I slipped out into the hall, my energy was back and I was feeling very good. A pleasant tingle was sweeping through my systems and I realized it was my new body's version of a humans 'butterflies in the stomach'.

Tilting my helm I walked carefully past the humans and into the main hanger. I knew I was still _very_ scuffed up and horrid looking, but I couldn't find it in myself to care at all.

I glanced around the main hanger until I spotted Ironhide in his vehicular form, a huge GMC Topkick. _How fitting._ I thought dryly while looking at the beast of a human truck. After a moment Ironhide transformed and looked at me.

"What?" He snapped irritably.

"I'm ready for training." I said quietly.

He looked me over, his optics zeroing in on the scuff marks and other damage, but he seemed to dismiss it after a moments hesitation.

"Meet me outside on the tarmac in fifteen. Prowl wishes to speak with you." My optics darkened at that designation, but I had to 'grin and bear it'. He was Bluestreak's older brother and the SIC.

I nodded to Ironhide and turned to walk back to the hanger. Sucking in a deep breath I flicked my wings upward into a stiff position so he couldn't 'read me' and headed to his office.

Walking up to his door I hesitantly knocked. I wasn't sure why he wanted me here this morning, he seemed to hate me already. I thought he'd just abandon me and not worry about training me. It was silent for a moment before I heard his calm voice.

"Come in."

I twitched inwardly and placed my servo on the pad. After a moment it beeped and then opened for me. Walking in quietly, I stood stiffly in front of the entrance. I had passed over the threshold just enough that the door would close, but my wings kept flush with the door.

"Relax. I do not bite."

His wording threw me off and made me tense up even more. "Could have fooled me..." I muttered it quietly, but apparently not quite softly enough if the look he was sending me was anything to go by. I flinched and accidentally let my wings relax; they flicked back and fluttered meekly as if they had a processor of their own.

"I apologize for yesterday."

I looked at him in confusion as I forced my wings to rise up and stiffen on my back. I refused to show him just how much he scared me.

"What, for locking me in the brig for so long? I deserved it. I was being rude."

He blinked slowly, his glowing optics narrowing slightly. "I had no right to cross that line. You knew no better and I punished you for it. For that I apologize. However, once you are finished training with Ironhide I would wish to have a moment of your time to go over what I shall begin teaching you, as well as your schedule."

I was silently taking all of this new information in. I forced myself to take it in stride, so with a nod of my helm I left his office. I may not be familiar with some forms of a silent dismissal, but I could tell that when he was no longer looking at me and was glancing over the data-pads that it was my time to book it.

Walking from his office I took quick, but measured, steps to the tarmac. I offered a brief nod to Mirage and Hound, who were in a conversation but paused to glance at me, and continued on my way. Stepping out of the main hanger I looked around and didn't see anyone or thing besides some jets and cargo planes.

Suddenly my wings pinged; I quickly ducked down to the ground causing the charging figure to trip over me instead of slamming into me. I stood up and quickly blocked the blows coming my way. They stung like crazy against my armor, causing aches and no doubt plenty more scuffs and dents.

I jumped backwards from a fist and landed in a crouch, automatically my wings flicked up and starting twitching. I couldn't see the figure anymore.

All I had noticed when it was attacking was that it was tall and lean, with a coloration of blue and white. My wings pinged again, and twitched backwards. I rolled to the side and barely avoided the swift kick to the abdomen; it still hurt like a glitch though.

My wings flicked again, picking up on movement to my right. I whirled around and threw a punch. I felt myself hit something and not a second later something slammed into my chassis and knocked me backwards a few feet.

I hit the ground and skidded with the impact, my armor sparking and leaving a trail of what was left of my paint. I managed to choke a vent out and then in, my wings were filled with pain causing the sensors to be overloaded. I couldn't find my opponent.

I looked around starting to panic when a blade pressed to my main energon line, a cultured voice hissing in my audio receptor.

"You're offline." I flinched and fell to the ground in exhaustion when the spy Mirage appeared. Ironhide walked up beside him, his huge arms crossed over his chassis and a less than impressed expression on his face.

"First move was good; you got your opponent by surprise when they tried to ambush you. After that you depended too much on your wings and didn't stop to use your _other_ senses. All in all I say moderate, at least you had some sense to listen to what your wing panels told you."

I blinked owlishly and gazed up at Mirage. He looked perfectly fine, as if I hadn't punched him or kicked him in the abdominal armor or even tripped him. He looked fine. Embarrassment crept over me. _I'm a total embarrassment to the Autobot cause._ I thought meekly.

"Don't beat yourself up, you'll get better. Your attacks could be worked on, but your reflexes are good. I'll give you that."

I looked up and tried to flick my wings, but that hurt _way_ too much.

"Am I that easy to read? At least I can do one sorry thing right." I muttered quietly while slowly standing up. My wings pulled down heavily making me fall back on my aft. I let out a keen of pain and flinched.

"My apologies. I did not mean to displace or harm your wings."

That damn cultured voice was smooth and calm. When I looked up at Mirage I noticed optics held an icy look to them. _He's not sorry in the least._ I thought bitterly. I slowly forced myself to stand, my wings blaring in agony.

"It's fine." I grunted and turned away when Ironhide made a motion with his servo, a dismissal. I could feel something leaking down my back, my panels, and armor stinging angrily like a swarm of Killer Bees.

I walked away from them and to Prowl's office, seething internally. _I don't want to spend another minute with them, they really hurt!_ I couldn't tell if I was thinking about those mechs or my wings, everything was cloudy.

I knocked on Prow's office door wearily and waited for his voice. Once he gave the all clear I pressed my servo to the key pad and waited for the door to open.

Stepping in, I tried to keep the limp and grimace from showing on my faceplates; it was no use trying to hide my wings. Prowl looked up and actually seemed startled. He dropped his stylus, his optics zeroing in on me.

"What has happened to you? You should be in the med-bay with Ratchet."

"It's nothing, plus you told me to come straight here after I met with Ironhide...'sides I've dealt with a lot worse than this." I muttered the last part quietly hoping he wouldn't hear it. All was silent in the room except for the sound of my cooling fans.

"We will discuss your schedule in a moment; I want to know how this happened."

I looked up and was surprised to see him actually holding a semi-worried expression. It didn't show on his face really, it was in his optics.

"Mirage and Ironhide." I stated in a dry tone of voice.

"Acknowledged. They shall be dealt with, they know better than to throw themselves at a bot who has had no military training."

"What about my schedule?"

His lips pursed as he looked me over silently. In all honesty I was surprised that he wasn't being hostile toward me. He was calm and calculating, it was quite a relief to be blunt.

"Once you are out of Med-bay you will spend each afternoon from thirteen hundred to fourteen hundred with me (1:00 pm to 2:00 pm for those of you who don't know military time). Then from there you shall spend fourteen-thirty until fifteen-thirty with Ironhide (2:30 to 3:30). The rest of the afternoon shall be yours top do with as you please."

I nodded politely and waited to see if he would say anything more. His door wings flicked ever so slightly before he pulled his gaze back down to his data-pads. Turning around, slightly wobbly, I walked out of the office... and right into Blue.

"Oh!" I looked up and smiled. He grinned back at me but suddenly froze, his optics zeroing in on me and a _very_ worried expression crossing his faceplates. He grabbed my arms and turned me around; I froze before realizing what he was doing. His servos gently touched my damaged wings causing me to wince.

"What… Happened?" He almost hissed

The snarl was like last night, only this time I couldn't see his face or where his servos were. It scared me more when I heard him angry, but couldn't see him.

"Training..." I mumbled meekly. I heard his growl again before I was suddenly picked up and gently cradled to his chassis. He stomped through the hall that had _somehow_ become devoid of humans. If I had to guess it was his snarls of anger.

"Ratchet!" Blue snapped when he carried me into med-bay. I flinched and looked up at Ratchet wearily. He stared at me for a good minute before swearing loudly and violently slamming his wrench down onto his desk in apparent rage.

"I'm going to slagging slag that slagger to the slagging pit!"

I blinked in surprise before looking up at Blue. "I didn't know you could make a whole sentence out of the word 'slag'." I saw his tense expression lift as his lips twitched in amusement.

"Sadly we can."

I grinned and giggled, that is until he shifted me onto a berth. My wings rubbed against his armor, and unlike last lunar cycle, it was _not_ pleasant. This time it hurt like a fraggin' glitching motherboard with a cracked processor for a CPU.

Blue froze and nuzzled his face against my neck cabling, agony shooting through my frame. _Oh Primus... It hurts so bad, almost as bad as the transformation and I thought that that could never be compared to anything!_ I heard Ratchet snarl something at Blue, before a needle poked my main energon line in my throat and then sweet oblivion came took everything.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I was quiet as I walked down the hall, for once in my life cycle I was _quiet_. The reason being was that I didn't know if Autumn had accepted my 'gifts'. I hadn't gone to the med-bay to check yet, but I need to right now. The femme I was looking for bumped right into me. My optics brightened as I smiled down at her, but then I smelled the scent of energon.

My optics narrowed when I saw her badly scuffed and dented armor, I couldn't see her wings. I needed to see her wings! Something told me she was injured; it wasn't the obvious scent of energon, it was something else. Turning her around quickly, I froze at the sight of her wings.

 _Oh my Primus..._ I could actually _see_ her sensitive nodes sparking, the wires showing through the rips and tears in the delicate metal. Her wings were barely holding on by the hinges. Fury swept through me. _Who would dare touch my femme in such a way?!_

I silently picked her up and stormed to the med-bay. I was aware that I was snarling angrily, the humans scattering in fear as I stomped down the hallways. I stomped into the med-bay and snarled loudly.

"Ratchet!" The medic swiveled around and stared at Autumn for a good minute or so before cursing loudly.

"I'm going to slagging slag that slagger to the slagging pit!"

I felt Autumn shift. Glancing down at her I watched her silently, she was so beautiful to me. Nothing could _begin_ to compare to her. Even when she was scuffed up with more dents than a target drone and covered in energon. _Nothing_ could compare to her.

"I didn't know you could make a sentence out of the word 'slag'."

I tried to keep my serious expression, but I just couldn't around her. Her sentence was so innocent… so much like a sparkling, it made me smile.

"Sadly we can." I stated dryly. She offered a grin and giggled. It was the one thing that showed me she would be alright; I loved her laughter and her smiles. They could light up a whole room better than any sun or supernova.

I walked over to the berth that Ratchet indicated and bent to set her down. I felt her wings brush my armor and suddenly I felt like slag. Like my spark was being sucked into a bottomless worm whole, a black whole eating me alive.

She keened in agony, her back arching in a vain attempt to fight against the pain. I tried to calm her down, but Ratchet beat me to it.

"If you're just going to stand there then move!" Ratchet snarled as he injected some concoction of his into Autumn's main energon line. She keened softer this time and then relaxed, obviously sinking into agony free forced stasis. My gaze softened on her dainty frame as I backed off to allow Ratchet to work on her.

I walked around Ratchet and paused when I saw only four pieces of my shiny metal objects. There had been _five_. I let loose a feral grin, my wings perked up happily. _She accepted one of my offerings._ A cruel grin slowly spread across my lips.

 _It's time that I make sure those rusted slaggers realize that when they mess with my mate, that they mess with me!_ I stormed from the room with every intention of tracking down Ironhide and Mirage. I didn't care if they were supposed to be training her; they did not lay a servo on her like that. _No one_ was to lay a servo on her like that.

I stormed through the halls and hangers, looking for the weapon specialist and spy. I didn't see them immediately, but I wasn't going to stop looking. I wanted to see them and cause as much pain as possible before I was _dragged_ to the brig.

 _Scratch that!_ _They are going to need a couple of tranq darts to get me off of them!_ I needed to hurt something, to tear into something. I had never felt so... so _violent_. In a way it felt good. I cracked my knuckles when I saw Mirage. _Let's go a few rounds with the Tower mech, see how long he lasts._ My lip plates shifted one last time into the cruel smirk before I lunged.

 _ **Autumn POV**_

It was roughly an hour or so later when I sluggishly came back online. I could feel something faintly tinkering with my back plating. I tensed and heard a curse, a very creative one at that.

"Fragit it all femme! Why can't you stay still?"

I powered up my optics to bring them online, and slowly the sight of the berth I was practically face planting came into view.

"S'y... fel' we'd." My voice came and went lazily with small chirps and whistles, distorted by the powerful sedative in my systems. I looked around wearily, my processors not quite caught up with everything yet.

"Wh's b'ue?" It seemed to take Ratchet a few moments to comprehend what I'd said.

"He's in the brig."

I could picture the way Ratchet would be pursing his lip plates.

"Why?" I managed to mumble a little more incoherently.

"He tried to take on Mirage... and then Ironhide."

"Separately?" I was slightly curious and only became more so when the fog started lifting and I could comprehend what the medic was saying.

"Same time. Sad part is, he actually won."

I couldn't decide if I should be angry with Blue or content with the knowledge that he protected me, even if it was supposed to be 'training'. A dash of amusement pricked at my mind. _He won... against a spy and a weapon specialist at the same time...?_

"I'm starting to think maybe he should training _me_ if he could take them both down at once." I heard Ratchet snort, a snicker permeating the mostly quiet med-bay.

I could hear his buzz-saw going, along with what sounded like something being welded. Luckily I couldn't feel what he was doing for the life of me. All was quiet for a moment before Ratchet spoke up.

"You do realize what's going on don't you?"

I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" My optics dimmed tiredly as he continued working, the sound of his tools was soothing to say the least.

"Bluestreak." Ratchet grunted.

I felt a minute tug and suddenly my left wing could be felt again. It didn't hurt like it had before, but it still stung. My right wing quit the whole 'phantom limb' thing and came back into my sense of feeling again.

"You mean with all the gifts?" I murmured, happy to be able to feel my wings again. I felt him tighten something at the joints and then his tools were shut off and moved away.

"Yes."

"I don't really understand the whole reasoning behind it, but I do get the message of the fact that he's trying to court me."

"If you accepted something shiny then he's no longer _trying_ to court you, he already _is_ courting you."

I slowly sat up with his helm and grimaced at the tightness of my wings. I gently flicked them and moved them about to find them pain free and able to move. A little stiff, but otherwise pain free.

"Well then, I guess we're courting each other. I mean, I did accept this." I pulled the elegant mirror from my subspace to see Ratchets curious expression.

"He must _really_ like you."

I tilted my helm in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The shinier the object the more the mech, or femme, is trying to gain the others attention."

I looked at Ratchet with a curious expression. He heaved a heavy sigh and sat down in front of me, his large bulky frame casting a shadow over my own slender petite one.

"Bluestreak as you know is Praxian. As well as his older siblings Prowl and Smokescreen. They all know the Praxian courting rituals because they were sparked and raised in that kind of environment-"

"Does that mean that I can never... reciprocate in any way?"

He seemed surprised when I said that, his irritation at being cut off fading from his optics.

"No, it does not mean that. You may not have been sparked or raised in that culture, but the programming is there in your helm. You would unconsciously respond to him." He smirked as if knowing that I already had.

"Does wing brushing mean anything to you?" I asked innocently.

Ratchet 'coughed' faintly. He didn't look uncomfortable or embarrassed, he just seemed... off.

"A Praxian's door wings are very sensitive, just like their chevrons; they are loaded with sensor nodes and neural nets. When another Praxian brushes their wings up against another Praxian's, they are expressing their desire to mate."

My optics widened. My mouth forming an 'O'. He smirked and stood up, patting my thigh. He sauntered off to his office while I situated myself on my front to rest. I certainly had a lot of things to ponder over.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I stretched out in the brig, overly content with myself as I ignored the glares from my counter parts that sat in cells across from me. I offered a grin that made engines snarl in turn, although I looked easy going, I was still seething internally.

 _Just wait until we get out you two, I'll need a_ _good_ _reason to_ not _rip you to shreds!_ A smirk pulled at my lip components at that thought over that notion. I suddenly frowned, _Autumn is out there without my protection and she is injured._ _I know Prowl won't harm her, but can I trust the others? After all, look what Mirage and Ironhide did to her._

My engine rumbled lowly at the memory. Her door wings, a vital part of our kinds communications, had almost been completely ripped off.

I eyed the two others in the cells opposing me. For now I would wait and see. Every mech knew better than to harm her now. I had showed my strength, prowess, and skill, along with how far I would go to protect her. _After all, she did accept my shiny._ A smirk passed over my lip components. _Smokey would be so proud._

A huff passed over my lip plates. Prowl would be here in a few jours to let me out, then I could see my love. Until then I would have to wait, feeling like an eternity had passed instead of two measly jours.


	15. Chapter 15

**Prowl POV**

My optics twitched when my com pinged. my tense wings flaring as I glared. I was _trying_ to get work done, key word being trying. Silently I opened the com to hear the message. My spark stuttered in shock.

 **.:Hound to Prowl. We have a situation:.**

 **.:Can it not wait?:.**

 **.:It's Bluestreak:.**

 **.:...what happened?:.**

 **.:Well... he might have sort of... attacked Ironhide and Mirage..?:.**

 **.:...I'll be there momentarily.:.**

My optics twitched again. All I could think was: _Bluestreak_ _did_ what _?_ My younger sibling had attacked fellow bots? Sure he was talkative, overly so, but he was always amiable. He was never harsh or cruel without cause.

A frown pulled at my lip components down when I came into the main hanger. All the humans had scattered and apparently run off from the 'titan brawl'. Optimus was standing between the three angry mechs, his battle mask in place. Jazz not too far behind, his visor dimmed to the point of being black.

Ironhide was snarling and kneeling by Optimus, by the looks of it Blue had gotten several good hits on Ironhide's weakened hip joint. His armor was ripped, dented, and torn badly, a surprise to all seeing as how thick and dense the weapon specialist's armor always was.

Mirage was slowly getting up, his armor panels flared and covered in dings, dents, scuffs and _..._ _are those_ _skid marks?_ I raised an optic ridge at the thought. Mirage's Electro-Image Disruptor that allowed him to turn invisible was completely ripped and torn from his shoulders to lie in several pieces.

Turning, I saw Hound trying to hold Bluestreak back. The sniper's optics burning with raw emotion. Bluestreak's wings were flared and smacking Hound in the helm every time they shifted. Bumblebee was trying to help Hound restrain him, but a quick kick from Bluestreak sent the young scout tumbling.

"Enough."

Bluestreak was still growling dangerously at the two mechs behind Optimus, his optics burning like a crazed turbo fox. I spared a glance to Mirage and Ironhide before pointing my gaze on my youngest sibling in Hound's clutches.

"Hound."

"Yes sir." Hound set his optics on me wearily, awaiting his next words.

"Escort Mirage and Ironhide to the brig." The tracker tensed and looked down at Bluestreak and back to me as if I were insane. My tense wings flicked ever so slightly in annoyance.

"What about Bluestreak?"

I couldn't exactly blame the incredulous tone that Hound held. After all, my sibling's wrath _was_ apparently something to fear.

"I will deal with him."

I watched Hound slowly let Bluestreak go before moving out of the way quickly. I could see why, a large puncture was in his side, energon dripping from it as he wearily walked over the other two mechs and ushered them to the brig. I turned my gaze on my brother, watching the way his optics followed them.

It was absolutely illogical as to why he had attacked the two mechs; they had done nothing to him. _So what was his motive?_ I quickly thought over the past few weeks, inputting the information into my battle computer. All the while I kept a firm grip on my siblings arm and led him to my office.

Making sure my sibling wasn't going to run, I closed the door and sat down. Bluestreak was glaring at my desk as if he wished he could burn a whole into it. Suddenly my battle computer brought up the most probable reasoning's, they _were_ logical.

"Bluestreak." I waited patiently until my sibling finally raised his helm to look me in the optics.

"Yes?" The simple word was snappish and laced with malice.

My optics narrowed. I might not be the oldest, but I was older than Bluestreak _and_ held a higher place in the chain of command. As so I would and could punish him accordingly.

"You will address me with respect Bluestreak. Why did you attack two fellow Autobots?" Blue slowly looked up at me again and sent me a scowl.

"They hurt my femme."

I raised an optic ridge. My battle computer had come up with the percentage of Bluestreak courting the femme; it was a very high percentage as well. Ninety-eight percent to be exact. I couldn't ignore something this important.

 _Praxians are very dominating and territorial, so if Bluestreak was courting the femme that would mean the other mechs on base would have to be very careful not to do anything untoward._

 _If not Bluestreak's possessive and protective programs would online and we would have incidents far worse than this. This is only the beginning._ I sighed and rested my jaw on my laced digits, elbow joints on my desk.

"That does _not_ give you the right to attack fellow Autobots." I could already feel a processor ache forming.

"Yes it is! They made her keen! _Keen_ Prowl! I will not stand for mechs harming her like they did! It's lucky that Ratchet could fix her wings, what if they had done that to her chassis! I can't bond with a femme that's offline from spark shock!"

I was watching my sibling with a calculating gaze. He was right of course, but I would never tell him that. It would only encourage future _incidents_. I sighed tiredly and stood up.

"Bluestreak. I will handle what they did, they had absolutely no right to damage her as severely as they did. However, I do ask you to restrain your programming. I know the mating protocols are strong, but you must be stronger." Bluestreak huffed and followed me to the brig.

I knew that my sibling wouldn't listen to me, he'd still attack all those whom posed a threat to the femme. After locking my sibling in a cell I walked back to my office and sat down tiredly.

My back struts were creaking and hurt, my wings felt sore and tense as well. I glanced down at the data-pads and heaved a sigh. I knew I wouldn't be getting any recharge this lunar cycle, not only because of the work but also from pondering the interesting situation of the femme.

My brother was quite smitten, he had even given her shiny objects. Which from what I could assume she had accepted. _Oh Smokescreen, What I wouldn't give to have you here... you were always better at dealing with Bluestreak than I was._

 _ **Autumn POV**_

When I onlined again I found myself to be in an unknown room. I looked around wearily and noticed the data-pad lying on the berth beside me. Picking it up, I activated it cautiously and was surprised to see it was a note. From Bluestreak no less.

 ** _Hey Autumn! I know you're probably freaked finding yourself in the new room, it just got finished and I decided to take you there, would've been completed a lot faster if the wreckers were here though! I thought you'd be more comfortable in here than the med-bay, a place to call your own you know? Your pass code for your door as of right now is: 44567820z. Whenever you feel like it you can change it manually._**

 ** _This isn't the only reason I'm leaving a note though, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a drive, when you online of course. If you don't want to, it's fine, I just thought you know... you've been stuck inside the base and it's good to exercise our tires, it keeps them from going soft. I bet Prowl hasn't mentioned that yet huh?_**

 ** _Well I suppose he couldn't seeing as with everything going on and all... anyways, let me know 'kay! I won't be offended if you don't want to go, I promise._**

 ** _~Bluestreak_**

A smile graced my lips when I read the note, I reread it again and again feeling a warm bubbly sensation swarm inside my chest _-chassis-_

 _Blue wanted to go on a drive with me?_ I couldn't help but to grin at the thought. He was just full of surprises. Prowl had mentioned that I wouldn't restart the schedule for a bit _... I guess it'd be okay._ I grinned and excitedly jumped from the berth, throwing the data-pad back on the pillows.

I looked at my frame and noticed in surprise that Ratchet had gotten rid of my scuffs, dents and other assortment of injuries while fixing my door wings. I'd have to thank him later. After all, the dents, scuffs, and paint were only superficial.

Walking from my room I looked around warily and flicked my wings. I tried to look casual while scanning for hidden signs of that damned spy. If I knew one thing, it was that if Bluestreak got out then so did Mirage and Ironhide.

With a nervousness akin to a hunted turbo fox I moved through the corridors in search of Bluestreak. As usual, he was bouncing up and down and talking some poor bot's audios off. The unlucky bot happened to be Jazz at the moment.

"What's going on now?" I asked as I strolled up nonchalantly. Both mechs turned to me and offered a smile.

"We go' new arrivals comin' in tonight'." Jazz intoned with his usual carefree attitude.

I could tell he was excited too. His visor was just a little bit brighter than normal, but it was enough to tell that he was happier than usual.

"Oh really? Where will they be landing?" I wondered curiously. Bluestreak grinned, his optics gleaming.

"On Diego Garcia with all of us! We gave them the coordinates so that they could get here quickly and with less of a chance of Cons ambushing them!"

"Do you know who will be landing?"

"nah, not yet." Jazz answered.

I nodded and smiled softly. "I'm sure you two are excited."

"Most definitely! I'm really excited! And and-"

"-Blue." Jazz intoned quickly. His visor glowing and dimming in quick succession. Bluestreak was quiet for a moment before he grinned impishly. I was guessing Jazz must have said something through the com link.

Something I still didn't have installed much to my irritation. He turned to me and flicked his wings suddenly seeming nervous; the escaping saboteur didn't go unnoticed by me. I wasn't sure about Bluestreak though, he could be quite oblivious.

"Do you wanna go for a drive today? I mean, if you don't want to it's fine I just-"

I cute him off with a quick soft kiss. Pulling away slowly I smiled. "I'd love to."

He grinned and grabbed my servo gently, pulling me onto the tarmac. I followed after him nervously, glancing down to see humans looking up at us. Some seemed curious, others in awe and yet others held fear. I tried to smile at the nervous/scared ones, but they just scurried away much to my displeasure.

Bluestreak let go of me and transformed down into his blue-gray Datsun 280ZX alt mode. A deep rumbling rev of his engine caused me to shiver, my wings twitching with the reverberating sensations.

I allowed my transformation cog sequence to activate, my body folding in on itself until I was in my Ferrari Dino concept alt. With a rev of my engine I playfully jerked forward. Bluestreak's engine growled back as he caught on. We took off racing past and around each other.

He pulled ahead and slammed on the breaks, his frame drifting around me with a squeal of his tires. I tried to pull a three-sixty to try to follow his movements, but Primus was that mech fast.

Laughter bubbled up through my frame; I emitted a cat-call to him. He stopped suddenly, engine growling while his head lights flicked on and off.

My spark started racing in my engine as I suddenly peeled backwards and raced off as fast as I could. His engine snarled and rumbled as he chased after me.

My sensors lit up and told me that he was gaining on me, his front bumper nudging my aft bumper. I let on my horn and shot forward with an annoyed squeal, I couldn't help the words that followed.

"My _paint_!"

I could hear Bluestreak's laughter as he shot ahead and down a road toward where he wanted to take me. I revved my engine and took off after him; the feel of the road under my tires was exhilarating.

I could see what he meant about keeping our tires from going soft, they felt tight suddenly, the ground felt like it was massaging them and that feeling made me croon. It was as relaxing as I imagined a full body massage would probably be.

After a while I noticed him slowing down, we were on some type of cliff area from what I could tell. I slowed down and transformed out of my alt mode, jogging up to his side.

"Where are we?"

Blue turned his helm, his gaze landing on my own. I felt my vents hitch when the afternoon sun washed over his frame. His optics became a sparkling indigo like the very ocean under us, his gray-blue armor got a golden tint to it that reminded me of a shooting star.

"I thought you would enjoy the scenery. Besides, the mechs will be landing close to here so I figured you'd like to meet them first thing."

A faint smile touched my lips as I rested my helm on his lower chassis-the highest place I could reach sadly. "You're too sweet for your own good."

I could feel, more than hear, his laughter as if reverberated through him. His arms gently wrapped around me, servos tracing my wings.

"Only to you."

I smiled again as I reluctantly pulled from his embrace. Looking around I slowly walked away from him, glancing every now and then back to him. His optics only held an encouraging look to them, silently telling me it was okay.

I slowly wandered away from him, my wings twitching and flexing with the scents, sights, and sounds. The Pine Trees were still taller than I, but thankfully they weren't as tall now that I wasn't human. Their scent was heavenly, a tantalizing aroma that I could quickly get used to.

I walked to the edge of the cliff wearily and glanced down into the clear water as it bashed at the rocks and cliff face. I glanced back to Blue to see him sitting on the ground now, his wings in a relaxed position as he watched me.

It made me nervous the way he watched me. His optics were intense, but not unreadable like Prowl and not aggressive like Ratchet. The look in them was endearing in a way, they held an emotion that pulled at my spark. They held love.

I sauntered back over quietly; I didn't miss the way his optics traveled to my hips when I moved. I giggled softly and sat down beside him, cuddling up to his frame and pushing my helm under his jaw much like a feline would.

"Do you know when they will arrive tonight?"

He made a gentle crooning noise and rested one of his servos on my hip plating. His other arm was behind him, locked at the elbow joint, to accommodate our sitting position.

"Not yet, but Optimus estimated it to be around nine pm. I'm really excited to see who will be coming."

I quickly picked up on the odd note in his voice; it held a tint of excitement and a tint of remorse.

"You're hoping Smokescreen will be here aren't you?" I felt him twitch, his optics locking on my own with curiosity.

"How did you know? Primus can everyone read me so easily!"

I giggled softly and caressed his chevron to calm him down just like he always did to me. He emitted a soft purring noise at the contact.

"No, it's only natural for a sibling to want his or her family."

"Well you're right... I do want him here. I miss him... I miss Smokescreen so much! I just-" His voice hiccuped with a soft keen. Immediately I pulled away from him to look at him in worry, coolant pooling in his optics.

"I just want my family again... it's all I have left."

My gaze softened, spark aching for the mech I had come to slowly trust and now love. I crooned softly and gently rubbed his chevron, planting delicate kisses on his cheek plating. Hesitantly I gently licked away a 'tear', and felt his frame shuddering.

"Shhhh... it's alright. He'll come, and until then you have Prowl." _And you have me._ I thought inwardly as I tried to calm him down. He shivered and buried his helm against my shoulder, his warm vents huffing hot air across my sensitive throat cables. Raising a servo I gently cradled his helm to me, my other servo coming up to apply soft pressure to his wings. I could feel him shudder, his wings relaxing at the touch.

"It'll be alright Blue. I promise." I felt him nod, his vents hitching and whining. I closed my eyes and gently started humming; it was a tune I didn't remember very well. I had brief flashes of the memory when I recharged, but it was faint. They were memories of my mother I think… at least I _hoped_ they were, but I couldn't be certain.

After awhile Bluestreak pulled away and scrubbed at his face plates in an attempt to get rid of the coolant tracks. I watched him quietly for a moment, unsure if I should speak or not.

"I'm sorry."

I looked up suddenly into Bluestreak's optics, they held shame. "Why are you apologizing?" I was genuinely concerned for the mech and confused by his words.

"I brought you out here for some time away from base and I start crying and whining to you...I'm sorry." His vents hitched again and suddenly I realized I wasn't the only young one here on base.

Blue must have been just as young as me or maybe a little older, the Cybertronian equivalent of course, because he was actually a _lot_ older than I was. I looked down to the ground to organize my thoughts; I needed to put this delicately and yet bluntly.

"Bluestreak. Don't apologize for your actions. We all need to cry sometimes and it's utterly normal, and if we don't then we build up emotions and... bad things tend to happen."

My thoughts traveled to my father and how he never mourned, how he became so... violent. I slowly looked up at him and bit my bottom lip; his optics watched me with a renewed vigor.

"I suppose it is true... I used to catch Smokescreen leaking back on Cybertron when he thought no one was watching. I used to always feel bad that I couldn't really do anything besides be there for my brothers, I mean seriously-sometimes even the psychologist needs a therapist."

I smiled in amusement at his rambling. I found it endearing and yet in a way I understood why he rambled on so much. It was his coping mechanism for whatever demons haunted his past. My smile faded however when I thought of the incoming bots.

 _Would they accept me? I mean I could always just pretend that I was 'sparked' as a Cybertronian and not as a human._ Somehow I didn't think that that would sit well with the others.

Darkness began to fall and soon I found myself cuddled up against Bluestreak's side, watching the stars. He constantly pointed out the constellations, much to my delight.

It had always been a secret pleasure of mine, to climb up to the roof at night and gaze up to the sky. Now I began to wonder if one of those stars had been Blue's home world, had been Cybertron.

A sudden crackling noise caught my attention. I squinted up at the sky, my optics suddenly zooming in and giving me a three dimensional view of a shooting star. Well I thought it was one, but then I zoomed in just a little bit further and saw the seams of the space pod.

"Is that...?" I looked at Blue to see his eager expression as three more suddenly came crackling into view behind the first. They shot over head and with a loud explosion slammed into the pine trees behind us. I whirled around and raced toward where the three mechs had landed.

I crashed through the trees at the same time as Bluestreak to see the four bots transforming. As far as I could tell they were all mechs. One turned to us and seemed startled, raising a cannon with a loud electronic whir.

I didn't understand what the mech was saying, it was in the cybernetic language that I had not been introduced to as of yet. Bluestreak strode forward and emitted a rapid succession of clicks, buzzes, chirps and other odd assortment of sounds.

My wings flicked nervously when I noticed two of the mechs watching me with a predatory gaze, it made me want to run and hide behind Blue. A chirp, turned whistle, from another caught my attention.

The fourth mech glanced between Bluestreak and I, a slow grin etching across his face plates. He to had wings and a chevron. If I had to guess, I would say this mech was Smokescreen.

"Hello I'm Wheeljack. So Blue says you only understand English?"

I jumped with a gasp and turned to look up at the large mech.

He was strong looking with a mask over his mouth plates and twin little side panels that came from the side of his helm, the glowed a bright blue with every word.

I swallowed and nodded taking him in, he was huge with now white armor that had crimson and green markings. A strong arm swept across my shoulders jolting me from my observations.

"So you're Autumn right? I hear you've been giving Prowl pit."

I looked up to see the mech with the chevron. His armor was blue and yellow; surprisingly instead of a red chevron he had a gold one. I tensed my wings and held very still unsure of what to do.

Laughter came from the two large mechs; they towered over Wheeljack, Bluestreak, and the mech behind me. I looked up to see they had already downloaded Lamborghini's, one crimson and the other gold.

"Stealing _our_ job Princess?"

I glared at the crimson one who spoke, not liking his cocky attitude one bit.

"Pretty sexy alt, could use a good buff though." The gold one's tone and first words already reminded me of those preppy boys who only cared for their looks. _The jock and the narcissist. Lovely._ I thought dryly. I glanced at Blue and the other two with me.

"Can we go now?"

I realized that my tone was whiny, but I just didn't like the look those two mechs were giving me. Blue was glaring at the two mechs, his usually amiable attitude gone.

"Of course. Optimus is going to want to speak with all of you anyways. You have a lot to catch up on! Luckily for you guys we made extra quarters while constructing Autumn's. Oh Smokescreen, when we get back to base I need to talk to you!"

 _So the mech behind me is Smokescreen. Joy..._ another _mech related to Bluestreak that I have_ yet _to slag off._ I smiled weakly and pulled away; activating my cog sequence and revving my engine once I was in my alt form. I peeled forwards and took off, not waiting for them to follow.

I was scared to meet this new Smokescreen, scared I would make him hate me like Prowl already did. He might be civil at the least, but that doesn't mean he isn't waiting for the perfect chance to make my life the living pit.

Not only that, but those other three mechs I wasn't exactly sure how to approach. Wheeljack seemed nice, but the other two... not so much.

I gunned my engine and took the curve of the road fast, the moon light glinting across my green armor while the accents seemed to sway with the lighting like waves. After a moment my sensors picked up on the five mechs closing in, the roar of their engines loud and deafening.

I sped onto the tarmac and raced across it; in the process I transformed and flipped into a skidding crouch. Standing up I cast the mechs a blank look and walked off, one mech in particular on my heels.

"Autumn?"

I paused when Bluestreak's servo clamped down on my wrist. I looked back at him tiredly, ignoring the questioning gazes of humans and bots alike.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just tired." It was quiet for a bit, then the powerful servo released its grip. Bluestreak backed off, his optics holding a concerned gaze.

"Alright..."

I frowned at the tone and look, but quickly moved off. I didn't mean to seem cruel, but I was just too fuddled to worry about anything at the moment. I just wanted recharge.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I watched Autumn walk off and looked up at my oldest brother as he came to stand beside me. Optimus had already gotten the other three mechs to go with him for a debriefing, Smokescreen being an officer would just go to Prowl.

"What did you wish to talk to me about?"

I looked up at him from where my gaze had traveled to the hallway. I felt an ache in my chassis as I worried over whether I had said or done something wrong.

"I... needed to discuss something with you... something _private_." I saw the slow grin that spread across his face plates and internally groaned. The sibling bond shared, between Prowl, Smokescreen and I, opened up suddenly and I could feel Smokescreen poking and prodding.

Huffing, I quickly walked back to my quarters and typed in the code. After a moment the door swished open, allowing both Smokescreen and I in. My eldest sibling strolled to my berth and plopped down, I could feel his optics watching me as I locked the door.

"It's about the femme isn't it?"

I twitched and turned to look at him. He knew me too well for me to hide anything. Doesn't help that he's a psychologist for the Autobot army, he's good at what he does.

"Yes... Well... you see... I'm courting her..."

His optics widened and he stood up. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Are you having problems?"

I shook my helm quickly, my wings twitching erratically.

"No, no... I'm not really having too many problems and I didn't tell you earlier cause I didn't want the others bombarding her."

Smokescreen nodded calmly, his optics watching me with a patience learned from vorns of working on _the Ark_.

"Then what's going on?"

I placed a servo on the back of my helm, the other resting next to my thigh awkwardly. "I really like her and I'm not too sure if it's been too soon or not to ask her _the_ question."

"You sure you want to bond with her Bluestreak? A bond isn't something you can take back, it's for life."

Smokescreen's concern was comforting, it was something that I could always rely on-to know that he would always be there for me. I looked up at Smokescreen and smiled brightly.

"I'm sure. In fact I've never been surer about something in my life cycle."

His lip components twitched into his own smile. "I'm proud of you Bluestreak. You've really grown up."

I puffed up proudly at his words, my wings flaring. His laughter echoing throughout the room.

"I bet you to do it tonight."

My optics widened as I stared up at my sibling. I knew, Primus _every bot_ knew how he was with betting and gambling, but I wasn't expecting _this_ kind of bet.

"W-what?"

"I bet you to bond with her tonight."

"N-no!"

"I guess you're still just a sparkling then. For shame Blue, for shame."

My spark stuttered. He was egging me on, I knew this and yet... and yet there was something _very_ appealing about this bet. For once in my life cycle I was gonna gamble.

"What do you get if you win?"

"Nephews or nieces. I want sparklings from you; pit knows we won't get any from Prowl."

I grinned and let out a soft laugh. "Oh? And what will I get?"

He raised an optic ridge and slowly smirked. The gambler every bot from _The Ark_ knew was shimmering in his optics.

"Hmm... I'll take over her self defense classes. Then you won't have to worry about those two slaggers. It's a win, win proposition, but if you loose I'll tell her all of your most embarrassing sparkling stories."

I blinked in surprise and realized I could feel him in my processors, examining all my memories after the time we got separated, then the horrifying realization set in.

 **Smokescreen you slagger! You wouldn't dare! And get out of my Processors!**

 **-snort- Oh I would, besides I wanted to see what's been going on. I have to say, I didn't think you had it in you to attack the old rust bucket** _ **and**_ **the snob. Do we have a bet or don't we.**

My optics narrowed as I stared at my sibling, debating whether I should accept or not. _What could go wrong?_

 **Deal.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Bluestreak POV**

I walked from my quarters, my brother's face plates still within my frame of mind. That easy going smirk, I wanted to wipe it off his face!

Taking in a shuddering vent, I made my way to Autumn's room nervously. I had no idea what I was doing. I mean... I'm not _innocent_ per say, but I've never taken the initiative in a relationship.

The only ' _relations_ ' I've had was with a pleasure bot back on Cybertron and that was because Smokescreen paid the bot to 'relax me', our kind didn't regard interfacing as a very taboo thing like humans did.

Instead we looked at it as culture and something to be open about, almost an art. Still though, I knew that Autumn had been raised human so that meant I would have to proceed in this carefully. Very carefully.

Walking to her quarters I shivered in anticipation and softly knocked on the door. It was quiet for a few moments before I heard the sweet voice of Autumn ring out to me. My wings perked up much like a cyber-pup's would when it heard its master.

The door slid open and I was met with the beautiful sight of the femme I had no doubt about loving. I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to bond with her and create sparklings. The only issue? I didn't know if she would feel the same.

 **Smokescreen's POV**

I leaned back on my brothers berth for awhile, feeling his spark jumping with nervous energy. A smirk graced my lip plates as I sat up with a grunt.

Getting up I sauntered out the door. _Might as well see if Jazz wants in on this bet._ I smiled fondly at the memories of Jazz on _The Ark_. We always had good times; even in war there is a way to find fun. I sighed, sobering up mentally, trying to sort my thoughts.

I knew I shouldn't push Blue, but in our culture he would have already been bonded. She accepted the shiny object and reciprocated the wish to bond by the pressing of wings. Even our tight aft brother would agree. _Now this is going to be an interesting gamble._

I walked to the main hanger and looked around for my favorite saboteur. After a moment of searching I spotted him talking to some human femme with blond fur and blue optics. Her accent was interesting, sounding as the humans called it 'Australian'.

"Jazz, if I may have a word." I offered the femme a smile to sooth her suddenly startled expression. Jazz grinned and nodded.

"Sorry Maggie, can ah talk to ya later?"

"Sure." The human femme answered with a smile. Jazz always _did_ have a way with femmes.

He smiled and shifted to stand from his crouch. I looked down at the saboteur and threw my arm over his shoulders, leading him away from the humans.

"I have... a proposition for you." Jazz's visor dimmed and glowed as he thought.

"What's da prize an' what's da bet?" _Oh, Jazz knows me far too well._ I grinned and looked down at the saboteur.

"I made a bet with Blue. I bet him that if he bonded with the femme, Autumn, that I would take over her physical training to discourage future... incidents."

"An' if 'e didn'?" I flashed a grin at that question, oh how I had hoped he would ask.

"I'll tell all of his most embarrassing sparkling stories, to the humans and to our fellow bots."

"Ahm in." I let out a loud laugh at that, I could always trust Jazz to be in on a bet with me.

"Great. I want you to report back to me, just see if they are indeed completing the bet. If not, I win." Jazz was unusually silent before he spoke up softer than normal. I was surprised for a moment, but I knew how he was when he got serious.

"Smokey, da' femme... if she finds out…"

"-She won't, and if she does… I'll handle it." I flashed Jazz a smile and walked away. My wings were relaxed, but in all actuality I took in every bit of information they were sending me. After all, who makes a gamble and goes in blind?

 **Autumn POV**

I was laying on my berth and reading a data-pad that Prowl had sent me. Well, he gave it to Jazz and then Jazz delivered it to me. It was an in-depth writing on the history of Cybertron.

All the way from the Allspark and the thirteen Primes and even to the Golden Age. Right now I was reading a section on the different city-states and how the cultures differed and yet all originated from the same place.

I was engrossed in it and had forgotten all about earlier events, after all, as a human history had been my favorite subject. A sudden knock to my door startled me. Frowning, I looked at my internal chronometer and found it to be quite late... errr early.

Heaving a soft sigh, I turned off the data-pad and set it on the night stand beside my berth. Getting up I stretched out my body getting the kinks out of my wires.

"One minute." I trilled softly, flexing my wings a few times before tensing the joints to keep them from being 'read'. Walking to the door I pressed a button and waited for it to swish open. When it did I was mildly surprised, but in a good way.

"Oh, Bluestreak. What's up?" I asked softly, hoping that my earlier aloofness hadn't hurt his feelings to much. I watched him flick his wings, his optics not quite meeting my own.

"I… wanted to ask you something." He said nervously.

I frowned and quickly backed up, timidly motioning my arm back in a sweeping motion.

"Come on in?" It was more of a question than a statement, but he smiled that sweet smile that I loved seeing on his face plates nevertheless.

He walked in, acting oddly quiet. I closed the door and watched him as he stood there in the middle of my quarters. I bit my bottom lip and twisted my servos together nervously.

"W-what did you want to ask?" For some reason I had a dark feeling of him luring me into here and hurting me. I shivered and shook my helm angrily.

I knew he would never do that, but then why did that thought just appear in my processor? I thought I was over most of my... _issues_.

"I wanted to ask you something serious. Mind you, what I ask of you once done can never be undone."

I tilted my helm slowly, wings flicking as nervousness crept up into my belly. It wasn't a 'fear for my life' kind of nervous, it was an excited kind of tension.

"I wanted to know if you would bond with me. I love you very much, and promise to always take care of you. I promise to protect you, to make sure you have the best of everything! I-"

I slowly took a step forward and pressed my right index digit to his lip plates, effectively silencing him.

"You had me at I love you." I could feel a crackling tension build up in the room, washing over us.

"Does that mean you'll bond with me?" He asked incredulously.

I was silent for a moment, looking into his optics and all I saw was earnest and deep love. No hidden truths, no doubts. Pure untainted love and all of it was for me. I found it hard to swallow suddenly; I could barely grind out the one word.

"Yes." His optics brightened excitedly. His expression suddenly mischievous, he walked toward me until he was towering over me.

I blinked and looked up, unsure of what he was going to do. That is until I felt his servos touch my chassis very gently, his servos sliding down to my hip plates so slowly that it was torture.

My vents hitched as he pulled me closer, rubbing our chassis's against each other. I tipped my helm back slightly as electricity zipped through my circuits. His servos were sliding across my wings, deliciously slow.

His optics were burning and bright as he backed me up against my door. Silently he pinned my wrists to the door with one large servo, with the other he locked the door.

Keeping my wrists pinned, he placed his other servo on my hip plating and drug it across to the panels between my legs. I jerked slightly with a start, his lips nipping my neck cables and soothing the stings with his glossa.

I moaned softly and pressed into the touch. I could feel his digits gently smoothing across the panel until it opened. I shivered as the cool air touched my port, his digits gently probing the area. I hissed and bucked my hips when he circled my port, a slick feeling leaking down my inner thighs.

Suddenly he pulled his servo away and unpinned my wrists only to pick me up and gently place me on the berth. I heard a faint clicking noise and looked down, my optics widened to see his rod.

 _How in the pit is_ that _going to fit in_ there _?!_ He was huge, hung like a cyber horse if there ever was such a thing.

He emitted a gentle croon and shifted to sit in front of me, his optics gentle and soothing. I found myself relaxing at the noise, my wings dipping lower on my back.

After a moment he leaned forward and kissed me, his servos gently hooking into my armor and unlocking it. I pressed into the kiss, ignoring the sensation of my armor leaving my body.

After a few minutes he pulled away slightly to get my wing and leg armor off. I shivered and looked him over, suddenly very much wanting him out of his armor as well.

Once he got the last of my armor off of me I sat up and straddled his waist, my servos coming up to gently slide across his wings. I could feel his rod sliding against my inner thigh causing me to shiver with anticipation.

I gently pulled his armor off, dropping it over the side of my berth to pile against my own. I slid down and gently unhooked his leg armor, leaving him completely in his protoform like I was.

After a moment Blue reached out and gently ran his servos over my chassis, I shivered with a gasp. Our optics locked as I slowly reached my servos up to do the same, after a moment the metal slid open to reveal our spark casings.

Bluestreak inched forward and pulled a small cable from his chassis, hooking it into my own. I jolted at the sudden feeling of him brushing against my mind. Optics still on my own, he reached into my chassis and pulled out my own cable to jack into his systems.

I shuttered my optics in pleasure, feeling our minds intersect and cross into the others consciousness. Gentle servos brushed against my spark casing causing my back to arch, I gasped and clutched his shoulders in pleasure. My spark casing clicking and shifting to allow him to touch my spark.

His servos were so gentle, gliding across the plasma based orb, sliding across my soul. I gasped and arched into the touch, craving more contact. I needed him, needed to know he was there and to know he cared.

His digits pulled away, lip plates dropping searing kisses to my cheek plates and jaw. Grabbing his shoulders I pulled his chassis against mine, his spark casing clicking back. For a moment nothing happened and suddenly I could feel our sparks touching, intertwining their threads of life.

I felt the way our sparks slowly pressed up against each other, twirling and slowly sinking deeper. I could see his memories, every single one. Coolant tears spilled down my cheek plating as I sobbed out soft words of nonsense.

I could feel his misery that he hid by smiles and chatter. See how many nights he lost recharge from nightmares, and in turn I knew he could see my own inner self. We were figuratively and literally baring our souls for the other to see.

Slowly our sparks melded together, creating a new rhythm. We were no longer two separate sentient beings, but one mind between two bodies. Pleasure thrummed through me as he gently slid a thick digit into my port, keeping our chassis's close together so the bond would grow stronger.

I moaned softly and ran my servos over his wings, suddenly wanting more. I gently ground my hips against his, feeling his digit rubbing against my inner walls while his rod pressed against my thigh.

I felt his own raw pleasure zip through him, suddenly naughty images of me pinned to the berth on my abdomen were pushed forth. Oh Primus... who knew this mech could be like that?

After a few moments he pulled his finger out of me and shifted me to rest my back on my pillows. I was panting for cool air by now, my systems scorching and begging for release. The relentless energy in my systems feeling like it would implode.

He cycled his own lust into my processors from our new found bond; reaching between us he unplugged the wires.

"What... are you... doing?" I panted the words softly, my hips bucking up against his slightly. He crooned and gently bit down at my throat, shifting over me almost feline like with the way he was biting my throat. After a moment he let go and drug his glossa across my throat cables gaining a shiver.

"The cables are only to intensify the immediate spark merge and interfaces. I don't think we need that though, not with what I've got planned." If my systems could heat up any more than they were at those words they would have.

Bluestreak shifted so that his servos were on either side of my helm, his optics locked on mine with a look of pure love while his wings fanned out like a protective umbrella. Slowly his rocked his hips forward against mine, his rod penetrating me agonizingly slow.

I cried out loudly as his large thick rod stretched me. He was fragging long as well, pushing in as far as he could go he pulled back and thrust back in. My helm slammed back against the pillows as every electric node throughout my body lit on fire.

"Blue!" I gasped as he quickly started thrusting his hips against mine. He dropped soft kisses to my jaw and stinging nips to my throat cables. He curled over me and pressed his hips into me harder, I felt a hot pulse of pleasure sweep through me. Throwing my arms up I clung to his shoulders while my legs wrapped around his waist.

"Blue! Hn... Oh Primus!" I cried out at the top of my vocal processor as he thrust his hips against my own. I pressed my chassis closer to his, feeling our sparks rubbing and swirling while our hips clanged together. I couldn't get enough of him.

Suddenly he started thrusting faster, his thick rod striking lightning bolts of pleasure. I could feel my port clenching and rippling, I knew I had to be close. Suddenly I pulled our chassis's apart and thrust them back together, pleasure snapping through us like a tidal wave as he thrust again, my port clenched down on him as I cried out in ecstasy.

He started pumping his hips faster and harder, grunts and moans leaving him until I felt his rod jerk and warm liquid filled me. I clenched him closer as we rode out our overload. We lay there for a moment with him hovering over me, our optics locked and I bit my lower lip. He smirked, which by the way was _so_ much sexier than his usual smile, and gently shifted his hips against mine; grinding his hips.

"Blue..." I whimpered when he drug out the sensation, pulling his hips against mine while practically teething on my chevron.

"Yes?"

I grinned, I couldn't help it I was just so giddy. The sensations weren't exactly helping either, and he knew it. "Again?"

His soft laughter echoed throughout the room as he drew his glossa across my chevron, his hips pushing harder. I threw my helm back against when he started sucking on the tip of my chevron.

"I can't deny my femme." He whispered seductively in my audio receptor.

I shivered and clung close for another ecstasy filled ride. His hips grinding and thrusting into my slick port with squelching noises. I gasped when he suddenly sat us up and held me close to him, our hips still connected intimately. He kissed me deeply, his glossa pushing into my mouth without permission; massaging my mouth and glossa tenderly.

I emitted a soft purring noise when his servos slid from my hips to caress my wings. Shivering, I raised my servos to smooth over his helm and to gently fondle his chevron. The red metal that adorned his gray-blue helm was pulsing with heat and seemed sensitive like a raw wound would be.

I pulled from the kiss slowly, his optics dim with pleasure as I gently massaged the warm metal. The prongs of his chevron seemed longer and sharper if that could even be possible, something about the sight was attractive to me.

Smiling, I pressed a gentle kiss to the middle of his chevron. His hot vents were ghosting across my throat cables with deep huffs.

"Mine." He mumbled softly while gently nipping at my own pearly white chevron.

I shivered and leaned into the touch. "Y-yours." I moaned softly in answer. I experimentally rolled my hips against his, finding that this time he let me control the tempo of our love making.

I could hear him moan softly into my audio receptor as he set his jaw on my shoulder, his warm vents puffing across my jaw. His servos slid to my hips, smoothing over the metal. I gently rolled my hips forward, grinding down against his rod and allowing it to press as deep as it would go.

I reached around behind him and stroked my servos over his wings, experimentally wiggling my digits into the joints. His back arched causing our chassis's to push flush again, our sparks instantly reaching for the others. We both shuddered and moaned heatedly as I started rolling my hips faster.

Suddenly I felt his servos grab my waist and lift me up slightly before slamming me back down, a cry of pleasure leaving my lips as he aided me in my quest for the intensity of earlier. I brought his face close to mine and kissed him heatedly.

Our glossa swirling while I touched sensitive wing nodes, he in turn quickly rolling us without messing up the tempo so that I lay beneath him again. He rocked his hips against mine, thrusting deeply causing me to moan into his mouth.

Our glossas fought for dominance, my nimble digits pushing against nodes and dragging across his wings. In turn he got faster, a primal roar from his chassis reverberated throughout us. Electricity shooting between our frames at a faster pace.

"Blue... harder! Uh!" His hips thrusting more harshly than before as I continued my assault on his sensors, his denta raking almost painfully across my chevron now. Biting my energon lines and lapping the blue liquid that came forth.

We were both growling softly, rumbling in our engines as he got rougher in his movements and touches. I could see the fevered look in his now white optics, but I wasn't scared. It turned me on all the more. Suddenly he slammed his hips upward, scraping the top of my canal and hitting my spot. My port clenched around him and started rippling. Milking his, and in sequence my own, overload.

He came with a cry, his wings jerking while his rod spewed its hot stick contents into my gestational chamber. I snarled and gave a loud keening trill of pleasure as I clung to him. Shudders rocking throughout my body for a long moment before we both relaxed.

He slowly withdrew from me and thumped onto his side, pulling me against him and wrapping his left arm and leg over me protectively. His wings splayed out to catch any and all reverberations so that he could protect us, our spark chambers stayed open however as our sparks stayed melded for a good while.

I forced my optics to stay open as I gazed up at him, a soft humming noise leaving my lips plates when he started making random designs with his digits across my shoulder.

"I love you Bluestreak." I murmured the words softly, almost sinking into oblivion. I felt his love and amusement from our new bond, his lips pressing against the center of my chevron.

"I love you too, now rest my spark."

I nodded sleepily and curled into him knowing he would protect me.

 **Jazz POV**

I stalked silently through the sleeping base, only a few humans up for the night shift. I made my way to Autumn's quarters on silent pedes, a faint noise catching my attention. I slunk closer and shivered hearing the pleading cries of a femme in the throws of passion.

A pang of pleasure lanced through my abdomen to my loins. _Well_ _den, looks like Blue really did have da ball bearin's ta do it._ I grinned and silently crept back to Smokescreen to deliver the news.

 **Smokescreen POV**

 _He maybe have formed the bond_ -which I could feel through him- _and he might have mated with the femme,_ _but now, oh yes I was going to torture him_.

I grinned and thought of all the different types of stories I could tell his femme. _After all, our deal was never written out and signed for, so technically it doesn't exist._ I laughed softly at the thought. I'd let them recharge, after all the first merging and interface sessions were exhausting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Systems: Onlining**

 **Observatory sensory output: online...Neural net online...Audios online... olfactory online... optics awaiting power.**

 **Energon: Low. Refuel when possible.**

 **Status: Safe...enacting subroutines.**

 **Subroutines: Activated. Beta coding-installed.**

 **Recharge protocols: Overriding—overriding—overridden.**

 **Systems: Online.**

I onlined slowly with the feeling of being cocooned in warmth. I was way too comfortable to online my optics as of yet, so I just snuggled further into the warmth.

Something was smoothing gentle circles over my back, massaging into the wires and thin protoform plates to leave a pleasant rippling sensation coursing through my circuits.

A purring noise reverberated through the area I lay in, the noise churning me to my core. I weakly flicked my wings and felt a surge of electricity tickle my circuits before lowering down to a pleasant tingle.

My whole frame was in a state of complete relaxation. I shivered and slowly powered on my optics begrudgingly, after all my chronometer told me that it was close to ten a.m. Earth time and I wasn't sure if Prowl was starting training today or not, so I thought it best to check... after a quick trip to the wash-wracks that is.

I shivered feeling the sticky lubricants from last lunar cycle's activities coating my inner thighs. I stifled a moan as the shifting of my legs sent pleasant tingles to my port. _Primus... how was it possible to be this worked up? After all we did last lunar cycle..._ my fans kicked on in remembrance.

I shifted closer to the silver protoform in front of me, my spark pulsing in perfect rhythm with his. We were one, and that sent a giddy sensation through me. I felt warm air huff over my face-plates, smooth metallic lips kissing my own.

"Good morning."

I heard, the words rumbling gently like thunder next to my audio. The sound of my mate's voice was silky, a sensual purr curling my toes-well the robot equivalent that is.

"Morning." I murmured back, pressing my face-plates against his neck cables. I huffed in his scent, it was thick and spicy. It wasn't mechanical or diesel smelling like it had been as a human, there was something about it that seemed... natural. I couldn't describe it, his own natural scent that was unique to him. It was spicy and intoxicating.

"Mmm we should get up..." I mumbled tiredly, every shift of my hips brought pleasant tingles to my lower abdomen. My parts apparently were well loved last night and they were letting me know it.

"Do you wanna get up? Cause we can." He asked me seriopusly.

I smiled faintly against his neck before bending back slightly to look up at him. I grimaced at the feeling of lubricants sticking and smearing over my legs when I shifted to look up at him.

"I need a wash." I responded, and he looked confused for a moment before his optics brightened and he caught on. Thankfully he didn't laugh or I would have been even more embarrassed.

"Good thing you have a personal wash-wrack built in."

"I do?"

"Of course! You're a femme. We wouldn't make you share the same wash-wracks as us mechs. Unless you wanted too." He dimmed his optics as his last sentence caught a sultry edge.

I laughed softly and nuzzled him. "You're a shameless flirt, almost as bad as Jazz!" I could feel him grin against my shoulder as his own frame shook with laughter. His lip plates nipping at my audio antennae, they sprouted from the sides of my helm and flicked back from a rotary cylinder that was smaller and close to my helm.

 _In a way the antennae reminded me of feline whiskers, suppose it's fitting with how much I purr or croon._ I grimaced. That sounded wrong to even my own audios! I shook my helm and pulled away from Blue to sit up. _I'm turning into such a perv._ He sat up with me and looped his arms around my waist.

"My aren't you a cuddle bug this morning." I said dryly. Earning myself a spark felt giggle which made me grin.

"Come on, let's get you washed up so the others don't smell it."

I blinked curiously and tilted my helm. I understood the obvious, of them seeing the lubricants that would no doubt show even with my armor considering all the seams it could slip through, but I was confused on how they would smell it.

"Smell it?" I questioned after a moment.

"Haven't you noticed? Our kind have _very_ powerful olfactory-senses, we can pick up on arousal or other such things."

I blinked my optic shutters closed for a moment and then open in surprise. "I hadn't realized that yet."

Bluestreak grinned and lead me to my personal wash-wracks that I hadn't even noticed before. They were connected by a small door to the east wall from my berth. I chirped in surprise when I stepped in, the wash-wracks were large and spacious. It was big enough for a mech Optimus' size and then some.

"Yeah, Hound is the perfect example. His are amplified way more than the rest of us allowing him to be a tracker. He can track prints, scents and other things such as data markings."

I made a soft humming noise while I walked in further, Blue's arm snaked around my waist as he pulled me to the shower area and turned on the hot water.

I jumped being startled before completely relaxing. His servos massaged my protoform with a pink type soap that I hadn't noticed him grab from a rack when we came in. His servos meticulously delving into the wires and seems of my wings, getting grit that I hadn't gotten out yet from taking a couple of drives.

He handed me a cloth and smiled gently. I carefully started scrubbing at my thighs and hips, trying to get off mech fluid and lubricants. I could feel my face-plates heating up. _Primus... how did I get his lubricants on my abdomen?_ I honestly didn't want to know. I shivered at the feeling of his servos gliding across my armor 'washing' my protoform.

"Bluestreak."

"Hm."

"Stop that or-"

"-or you'll what? I didn't hear you complaining last lunar cycle."

My face-plates heated up further. "I've got training!"

"At one and right now it's only ten fifteen."

"But-"

"You're too tense."

I shivered when his denta raked my shoulder, biting down as he pinned me to the wash-wrack wall. His hips grinding against my aft.

"...Blue..." I whimpered; his servos on either side of my hips while mine were braced against the wall. I knew we needed to stop, but Primus he was talented with those hips.

"Relax." The words were growled and smoldered with sexual tension. Hips pressing closer to me as his rod rubbed against my inner thigh. _O-oh... I could get used to this._

XXX

I walked quickly to the rec room to grab a cube of energon before speed walking to Prowl's office. I was overheated and my cooling fans were running like crazy.

My vents were hitching sporadically as I thought back to how he had me pinned to the shower wall, my legs wrapped around his waist... I shook my helm and concentrated on where I was going, I didn't need squashed humans at the moment.

I was already ten minutes late. _Ten_! I quickly gulped down my energon. I was aware that it was not decent, but hey-what was a femme to do? Shoving the half drunk cube into my subspace, I stood in front of Prowl's office fearfully.

"He doesn't bite."

I jumped and whirled around to stare up at the eldest of the three mech door-wingers. He was leaning against the opposite wall with a smirk on his face-plates, and I was willing to bet he knew why I was late.

"I was-we were... I'm so dead..." I stammered.

Smokescreen started laughing; it was the booming laugh of someone who loved life. It made me relax, but only minutely.

"Still nervous around me huh?"

My optics widened as my wings flicked back. "What... how...?"

"Blue mentioned before that you were skittish. I'm not surprised you didn't understand what we were saying, you don't speak Cybertronian."

My optic twitched causing him to smirk. "What are you smirking about?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad he's finally found a mate. We need to talk later though, got some privy information for you-blackmail to be exact. Just in case he ever slags you off."

He winked and sauntered off. Somehow that mech struck me as someone to not irritate, but all in all he seemed nice... and he didn't hate me right off the bat. Sighing, I turned back around and smoothed out my ruffled armor plating. Tensing my wings I knocked.

"Enter."

I swallowed and slowly walked in once the door swished open. I offered a meek smile, but his cold optics made me wish I had Mirage's image-disruptor.

"You're late."

"I know sir. I won't make any excuses because I have none."

"Tardiness will not be tolerated."

I winced and slowly moved to stand behind the chair in front of his desk.

"Yes sir." I murmured quietly, my optics diverted.

"Sit."

I did as told quickly, not wanting to agitate the mech. I learned from experience that he would not take kindly to my 'bull-slag'. His optics were studying me, silence echoing throughout the room.

I would not be the first to speak however, something told me he was looking for something. I wasn't sure what, but I knew he was, so I stayed silent.

"Have you read the data-pad that I sent you?"

"Yes sir."

"At least you can follow one order correctly and not mess it up."

I cringed inwardly, but forced myself to seem aloof on the outside. I felt a sudden flash of anger surge through me. A blast of raw emotion that was not my own.

 _ **.:.[anger, protectiveness, worry] Ignore him.:.**_ I realized it was the new spark bond, raw and open like a wound. All my emotions circuiting to Bluestreak and his to me. I quickly clamped down on it awkwardly.

"You have learned of the history of our people, the data-pad I gave you is an in depth data-collection from Alpha Trion himself. However, there is still much to learn about culture, language, and interactions."

At the last word he gave me a steady glance as if to say 'yes, interactions, you could use that lesson well.' I huffed a soft sigh and nodded to him, his digits laced together with his jaw resting on them.

"Ratchet mentioned something about pleasure bots before; I was curious about what that meant." Prowl grimaced and spoke up calmly.

"They were a part of our culture. Unlike here on Earth, we treated interfacing as an art in a way. It was not something to be ashamed of, and if you were seeking a companion you went to a pleasure bot."

 _So basically they had prostitutes too... except it wasn't taboo for them like it is us... huh..._ I nodded carefully, thinking over this bit of information.

"What about the young, how were they treated comparatively to humans parenting skills?"

This time he actually gave a flick of his wings, his expression interested. As if I had asked a question that most would have ignored.

"Hmm, back on our home world the young were revered and treated with much respect. Almost as much as our elders. In most cases the creators did not raise the sparkling or youngling; they were raised in a youth sector mostly. They were then exposed to caregivers, guardians and others that were their own age."

"Why were they treated with such respect?"

"Sparklings were rare, they still are. Most bots worked in harsh conditions that caused their frames to malfunction, and in doing so it would not allow them to carry or sire. By the time a spark was created, it extinguished. So those who _could_ carry, or sire, would have the young and put them in a youth sector, away from the dangers of their occupation."

"Was it just this, or was there also some form of social hierarchy that dictated that not everyone could have young."

His optics still seemed cold, but they softened slightly as if looking upon someone much younger than I.

"There was a hierarchy. The Tower bots being up there with the Prime and Senators, rulers of city-states. Most of the working bots were not allowed to have young. However, the higher in the caste system you were the more sparklings you could have."

I frowned at this bit of knowledge, my optics darkening at the idea of somebot not being allowed to have a child because they worked in a lower position. A growl escaped me unconsciously.

"When the Golden Age came though, didn't the whole caste system/hierarchy break apart?"

He dipped his helm in acknowledgment. His optics inquisitive as he watched me.

"Yes, eventually it did. Once it did there was a growth in population, it was tremendous, and our society grew. More culture flourished, sadly like all things there was some... darker aspects to the new found freedoms and cultures."

"The gladiatorial pits." I murmured softly. I had read briefly about those, and frankly I was horrified by how anyone could actually like such a thing.

"Yes. Two mechs that you have met came from that part of society."

I was confused thinking over everyone. My best guesses were Jazz and Ironhide.

"Ironhide and Jazz?"

Prowl smirked and leaned back in his chair to sit up straight. "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker actually. Ironhide was a guardian and Jazz was a cultural investigator."

I thought back to when I had first met them, their glowing predatory gazes and large powerful frames. I shuddered at the idea of them ripping another mech apart for others twisted amusement.

"That is all we have time for today. Meet your new instructor in the main hanger for fighting lessons. Ironhide may teach you about weaponry later however, he is far too rough to teach a femme servo to servo combat." He smiled faintly. **_Smiled_** **!** I smiled back shyly, not sure what else to do, and stood up to leave.

"Autumn."

I turned back to Prowl, his lips quirked in a knowing smirk.

"Congratulations, but I will not go easy on just because you are bonded to my youngest sibling."

I ducked my helm and nearly ran out of his office. _Primus, does every bot know?_

XXX

I glanced at Blue and snickered, but how could I _not_ laugh? _Primus... I can't believe he did those things!_ It was the fifth time that night that I glanced at him and giggled, when he finally huffed a sigh and stood up to come up behind me.

"What are you giggling about?" He asked calmly, a small hint of curiosity in his voice. The data-pad he was working on for Prowl now forgotten.

I let a slow grin stretch across my lips, my optics glinting in mirth. Confusion glinted in his optics as he tilted his helm, much like the turbo fox's that Hound told me about would.

"Tell me Bluestreak, when did putting your data-jack in a wall socket seem like a good idea? Was it before or after you got electrocuted?" I grinned evilly at his horrified expression.

"What-who- _Smokescreen_!"

Laughter bubbled up in my vocal processors as I fell back clutching my abdomen. _Oh Primus, this is too good!_ I grinned thinking back to when I went to speak to Smokescreen the lunar cycle before.

 _I finally finished my training session with Jazz. He was a lot more gentle than Mirage and 'Hide had been, but just as, if not more, scary when angered. I panted lying on the ground; my muscle cords were aching and felt over stretched._

 _That wide grin was on his face-plates as he laughed. I glared up at him irritably._

 _"Yeah, yeah... laugh it up."_

 _"Autumn Sweetspark. Dere's a difference. Ahm laughin' with ya, not at ya!"_

 _I simply shot him my best disgruntled look as I stood up._

 _"Yeah, sure." Even being irritated at him, I couldn't help the soft laughter and smile. His attitude was infectious. So happy and carefree. I grinned and waved a hand at him tiredly_

 _"Gotta meet up with Smokescreen, so I'll see ya later kay?" Jazz grinned and offered me a nod. Turning, I walked out of the main hanger on wobbly leg struts. My whole body was aching, but luckily for me Jazz knew better than to touch my wings or my discomfort levels would have been_ much _worse._

 _I groaned and rolled my shoulders, my wing joints aching horribly from the tense cords and struts that attached to them. I shivered as the evening air swept over my overheated circuits. Living on an island may be hot usually, but when it was nighttime and there was no sun to alleviate the sea breeze it could get really cold._

 _I looked around and didn't see Smokescreen anywhere, so walking out farther I stepped off the tarmac and slowly ambled to the oceans edge. Every joint screamed at me to stop moving, but I kept walking until I was further along the shore._

 _With a great heaving sigh I sat down in the golden sand, illuminated by the last rays of the sun. My optics zeroing in on the dolphins that jumped among the waves. I smiled softly, relaxing at the peaceful scenery._

 _"So you did come."_

 _I jumped and looked back, a painful groan erupting from my neck struts from all the abuse. I winced and touched my neck cables, looking up at Smokescreen._

 _His gleaming gold chevron shimmering in the last rays of the light, while his blue, red, and white armor seemed to glow._

 _"Yes. I came." He smirked and plopped down in the sand beside me; the movement was ungraceful, but the landing was the opposite. Not a single grain of sand was disturbed. I glared at him in jealousy, he merely laughed._

 _"What did you want to tell me? Something about blackmail and Bluestreak?" I couldn't help but to grin at the idea. Smokescreen smirked and chuckled._

 _"Yes, you see... I figured you would be quite... interested in knowing some details belonging to Bluestreak's past. You could use them as blackmail against him if the need should ever arise."_

 _I raised an optic ridge and studied the oldest of the Datsuns. Something was telling me that maybe I shouldn't go along with this, but my insatiable curiosity won over._

 _"Spill."_

 _Smokescreen laughed loudly, his optics bright with mischief. Smokescreen leaned back on his hands, wings spread out to catch the quickly dying warmth. The 38's on his wings and chassis were highlighted by the dimming glow._

 _"When we were younger we were quite the pair. I was always the troublemaker, getting into trouble for illegal gambling."_

 _I raised an optic ridge in amusement. Somehow that just seemed like something he'd do. I thought with mirth._

 _"Prowl was the middle youngling, always a tight-aft and abiding by the rules. Then we had sparkling Blue. Prowl was... is... trying to influence him to be well behaved. I always encouraged the... mischievous side of him. I probably shouldn't have now that I think about it, but it's over and done with."_

 _I nodded quietly, watching his expressions with anticipation. I hadn't heard about Blue's past, none of the bots really, so I was cherishing this time with every bit of my spark._

 _"Well one day our creators, Tripleshift and Sureshot, got him upgraded into his youngling frame. I thought it would be funny to tell him he could talk to the wall if he plugged up to it. Of course the little fragger believed me."_

 _I blinked and tilted my helm curiously. Flicking my wings in silent question for him to tell me what happened. Smokescreen grinned and snickered softly._

 _"He walked up to the wall one night, and right in front of our creators, he opened up his arm panel and plugged up to the wall socket! Needless to say he electrocuted himself. Our creators were slagged off at me, they always knew it was me. Luckily for little Blue however, the medics could fix his fried systems."_

 _I shook my head and laughed, fully laughed like I hadn't in awhile. I could imagin the whole scenario of Bluestreak stalking up, smiling at his creators, and then doing that. It was too good. I laughed for awhile, Smokescreen chortling beside me._

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. Honestly, brothers never tell the truth! They're always up to something! How could I be so stupid as to believe him?"

I tilted my helm, watching Bluestreak pace as he ranted.

"What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have made that deal! I knew he'd rig the bet!" My optics narrowed in confusion. I knew how Bluestreak was when he got like this; he would ramble and tell me everything, if I asked, without thinking.

"What bet?"

"He bet me that if I bonded with you he would take over your training! But he didn't take over your training and he still told you about my stupid mistakes. He's such a-" That's when he froze; his mouth plates opening and closing like a fish.

I was frozen, unable to comprehend what I had just heard. _He bet Bluestreak to bond with me..._ Everything seemed to swirl and flux. Pain exploding in my chassis, and by the look on Bluestreak's face I knew that he could feel it too.

"You... you... how... I... why would you...?" I couldn't get the words out. I couldn't decide if I should be horrified at the realization or furious. I was stuck somewhere in the middle. I suddenly stood up from the berth and backed away from him. I stumbled and placed a servo over my spark, the familiar feeling of being used shot me clean through.

"Autumn... I didn't bond with you because of the bet, I-"

"You what? You what Bluestreak? Bonded with me because of pity! I thought you loved me, but apparently I put my love and trust in the wrong bot... the worst part is... I _can't_ take it back." I whispered the last parts, my spark clenching in agony.

Bluestreak took a step forward, reaching out to me.

His servo paused at my expression; backing away from him I turned and palmed the door open. When it opened I raced out slamming past a mech, but I didn't pause to check who it was. I could only hear Bluestreak's words in my audio. See his angered expression towards his brother, but somehow it translated to him being angry at me.

I couldn't get his words out of my helm. They bounced around and cluttered my processors. I couldn't compute anything, I couldn't think or vent. After a while found myself outside, my processors realizing that I had somehow gotten to the cliff where the four mechs had landed.

My vents hitched and I fell to my knees and curled in on myself. Betrayal, pain, and fear were the only things I could understand. They were the only things my processors were dealing with. I looked up at the stars and tried to vent, warning signs were entering my field of vision.

Warning: Systems overheating.

Warning: Systems overheating.

Warning: Stasis lock activated in 10 seconds.

I felt my cooling fans hitching whining with the stress, coolant pumping through my systems painfully, while my spark was beating erratically. I could feel Bluestreak trying to figure out where I was, but I just clamped down on the bond and shoved him out.

 _Primus... I just wish I could offline... how many mechs let this happen and knew?_ The countdown finally ended and I found myself shutting down. A cold feeling sweeping through my systems as I fell forward, off my knees and on my chassis.

 _Who else knew?_ The distant thought wondered through my processors, but I didn't have time to come up with an answer as Stasis Lock drug me into its cool unfeeling clutches.


	18. Chapter 18

**Bluestreak's POV**

I stood there numbly, my servo reaching out to thin air as my Spark bonded mate ran out the door. I will never forget the look on her face-plates; it was forever burned into my memory banks. She looked like she was gazing upon a monster.

I shivered and let out a low keen. My engine hiccupped and sputtered, while my spark shivered and clenched in its casing. I could _feel_ her close the bond with a snap; it was like a door slamming closed in my face. A punch to the abdomen, a null ray to the spark.

Oh Primus, how it hurt. It hurt so badly to know that _I_ was the one who had hurt her, that I-her bond mate- was the one who tore her spark apart... and I hadn't even physically touched her. No... it was because of that Primus damned _bet_!

I wanted to blame Smokescreen so much, but I knew that in the end... it was I who did it. _I_ could have said no to Smokescreen. _I_ could have just sucked it up and went to her without a bet hanging over my helm. _I_ could have done things differently, but I _didn't_ , and that is what hurt the most.

I clenched my fists and lowered my helm as the coolant tears slowly fell from my optics and to the floor. The pattering of their fall was the only noise in the room. I grit my denta and slowly opened up the bond to my brothers. I knew they would help me, no matter what I did, they had always stood by me.

 ** _.:...Help... it hurts so much:._** I sent the words out to my siblings, hoping that they would help me filter the pain enough that I could go find Autumn. Go make amends before she did something both of us would regret.

 ** _.:Blue! It's Smokescreen, where are you!:._** Smokescreen quickly sent back. I could feel his worry through the bond and no matter how angry I was at him for telling those little stories I was relieved to hear from him right now.

 ** _.:Bluestreak, what happened?:._** Prowl's voice echoed through my spark and helm, he sent a surge of protective worry through our bond. I shivered and emitted a wailing keen that echoed throughout Autumn's quarters.

 ** _.:She's gone! I really slagged up this time! Please... oh please...:._** I sent my pain... my anguish through the bond. I could feel their shock and worry.

 ** _.:She ran away?!:._** Both of my siblings chorused at the same time. Prowl was calm, Smokescreen was worried with a tint of fear.

 ** _.:I shall alert the base to what has happened, Optimus will no doubt send out a search party. I highly doubt she could have gotten far, Bluestreak, this is an island.:._** Prowl stated calmly, before all but disappearing from my spark. I could feel Smokescreen's worry as he sent me comfort and strength.

 ** _.:I'm sorry Blue, we'll make this better. I promise.:._** Smokescreen then pulled out of the three way connection, leaving me to wallow in my pain. Another keen left my lips, but I forced myself to stand up and stagger out into the hall. Watching for humans underfoot, I moved dejectedly to the hanger. My wings hanging low on my back, displaying my agony.

 **Hound POV**

I stood in front of Optimus, confusion the only thing I could really feel. _Autumn has run away?_ It didn't make sense to me, but I suppose it didn't have to.

"So you need me to track her down?" I clarified. Optimus nodded with his deep cerulean optics intense with worry.

"I fear for her safety, as the Cons could appear at any moment. She still is weak and fragile compared to the rest of us. I need you to use your abilities to find her."

"Yes sir. Am I going alone or taking others with me." I asked. Determination quickly overriding my fear. I've done these kinds of things back on Cybertron. I tracked down rouge bots, Decepticons, and went out in search of missing Autobots.

When they sent me out it meant something bad had happened, and usually when I found the bot they wanted me to track... well to put it kindly they weren't moving. I nodded, swallowing back my worry for the femme.

I knew my friend Bluestreak had bonded with her, Primus everyone found out seeing as we didn't hide stuff from one another. I was just confused about why she ran off. Did Blue... no. Bluestreak would never harm another Autobot, no less a femme.

"I will be sending Ratchet, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker with you." I nodded and looked back to see the three bots making their way to us.

"So the femme bolted?" Sideswipe rumbled. I heaved a sigh. Great... I got the pranksters to accompany me.

"Sounds like she's got a glitch." Sunstreaker grunted. Before I could even say anything back, Ratchet whacked both of them in the back of their helms with a deft swing of his wrench.

I smirked and shook my helm as they both yelped in pain. Well, Sideswipe yelped and Sunstreaker yelled about his paint.

"Let's get going, we don't know how far she could have traveled and what shape she's in." I stated while walking to the hanger entrance.

"If she ran, I highly doubt she's physically impaired Hound." I looked behind me to gaze at the twins.

"I'm not talking about physical shape Sideswipe. I'm talking mental." Ratchet grunted while nodding to me and walked past the glaring twins to my side. Not a second later the clouds gave way with an angry rumble and began to poor down rain. I cursed loudly and looked at the three mechs.

"Let's move before I loose her trail!" I sprinted out of the hanger and transformed. Shooting across the sands in four-wheel-drive I turned on my high beams so that I could look for any type of indentations or clues as to where she could have been heading.

For awhile I didn't see anything, but then I came across damaged brush. Transforming out of my alt. Mode. I crouched down and picked up the crushed branch, rolling it between my digits. I looked up through the pouring rain and turned my sensors on high, hoping to gain a signature. Nothing, not even a blip.

I looked behind me at the sound of transformation cogs being activated. A grim expression on my lip plates. I couldn't find tracks, the rain was washing them away, but I did find the branch. It told me she was in a hurry, disoriented. The scent of fear still lingered somehow.

"What did you find?" Ratchet asked. No matter how much he tried to look and sound angry, I could still smell the worry that filtered off of him; it was intense.

"No tracks so far, but I did find this. She's headed east, toward the cliffs. From what I can observe from the breakage of this branch and the surrounding brush-" I turned and pointed at the trampled vegetation, glancing back at them with concern.

"She was disoriented. Running from something or one." The twins growled their optics dark.

Ratchet was seething, anger rolling off of him. "Let's find the femme."

I nodded at the request and walked past the brush. From here we would walk, I figured it would be faster and I could pick up on the tracks easier.

Rocks were scattered, vegetation torn and abused. I frowned at the sight. It was... aggressive. As if she wasn't just disoriented, but also angry. I was confused. _Why would she be in such a condition in the first place?_

The sense that Bluestreak had something to do with this intensified. I couldn't shake it, and it worried me. _Why would Bluestreak cause her to be like this?_ I froze upon seeing more tracks; my optics followed the trail to the old worn dirt path. I quickened my pace seeing tire tracks fade to staggering pede prints.

She was worse off then I thought. I took off running up the cliff face, worry coursing through me. _Why is she going to the cliff?!_ I rushed up to the top and froze. I could see the slender form of the femme collapsed by the edge.

"Autumn!" I rumbled when I crouched beside her. Mud splashing up my thigh plating when I dropped to one knee. Shifting one arm under her I gently rolled her over and placed my servo on her chest plates.

She was warm and her spark was still pulsing, so that was a plus; however, her optics were dark leading me to the conclusion that she had fallen into stasis lock. My optics traced her face-plates, she had been crying. My spark ached at that, seeing the dried coolant tracks on her face-plates. _What happened to you that distressed you this much?_

"Ratchet! I found her!" I called out, my optics never leaving the dainty frame before me. Not a second later the cranky CMO was beside me. His usually pristine armor covered in mud and leaves. Opening up his arm paneling he pressed a few buttons and pulled out a slim cable.

"Lift her up, I need to plug up to her processors and see what made the femme glitch. Right now she's in stasis, but luckily it was a forced systems protection program that was activated. I did a quick scan, but found no physical injuries. So she must have glitched."

I nodded and obediently pulled her light weight up into my arms, using my knee joint as a brace for her back plating. I could feel the twins loom up behind us, their scent rank with irritation. Even through the rain I could smell that.

Ratchet silently plugged in to her processors, his optics dimming and for a while there was no noise except for our heating systems keeping us warm against the cold pouring rain. The patter of the down pour was soothing and yet it sent chills up my spinal plating. It was like the final ticking of a clock in my mind, the final breaths of a comrade in my arms.

I looked down at the femme, worry clouding my optics. Finally I heard a growl and looked up to see Ratchet's ire filled face-plates. I flinched slightly when a flash of thunder, and strike of lightening, lit up and back grounded him perfectly.

"I'm going to offline those slaggers when we get back to base. Let's hurry up and get her back to base, her programming is starting to get corrupted by the rain frying her circuits. She's going to have one nasty virus when we get back."

I winced and gently picked her up; she wasn't heavy at all, but nor was I the strongest… Moments like this was when I wished Inferno was here, he was way stronger than I and could carry her back to base with no problem. No doubt I was gonna need a good rinse in the wash wrack with hot water to uncoil my tense neck cables.

 **Autumn POV**

I slowly onlined to the sound of yelling. I flinched and gave off a weak keen, my optics flickering online weakly. Distantly I picked up the swaying motion of movement, someone was carrying me.

I glanced around weakly to see that I was in the main hanger. Ratchet was looming over two frames, one was blue, red, and white while the other was a silver-blue. Smokescreen and Bluestreak. I distantly realized. I didn't feel so good; the swaying was making my tanks lurch.

Spark aching and feeling like my energon was going to come up, I decided that I hated coming out of stasis lock. Groaning I wiggled trying to get free of my captor, but I was too weak to get anywhere.

"Easy." I heard an unfamiliar voice rumble.

Glancing up I saw Hound and relaxed. I hadn't spoken with him personally, but Blue had told me about him once. He said that Hound was a fun mech, generally nice and the Autobots tracker.

Slag... Autobot Tracker... he... I wanted to face plant at that moment as my processors finally caught up to speed. He was the one to find me out there in the mud?

"Hey, the pipsqueak's finally online."

I jumped slightly and automatically regretted it. My tank's agitation made itself known to the world. I turned slightly in Hounds grasp and purged. It wasn't much energon considering I hadn't had any in awhile, but it was enough apparently to splatter the floor, his arms and his pedes.

I felt the warm servos around me shift and hold me a little closer; as if afraid I might hurt myself. I had expected the mech to drop me, but he just calmly held me in his arms up against his chassis. One of his servos gently rubbing my back in a soothing manner.

His steps went still as he waited to see if I would purge again. Nope, nothing. One time thing apparently. Hound's arms shifted to hold me on my back again, careful of my wings as he walked past Ratchet's furious form and into the hallway that led to med-bay.

"Ratchet's angry at me isn't he." I managed to grind the words out as we entered the med-bay. Hound gently set me down on a berth and disappeared for a moment, a second later he came back with a waist basket and set it on the floor right beside my berth.

"Not at you really. He's angry at Bluestreak and Smokescreen."

I looked up at him in shock. "What... how...?"

Suddenly he looked guilty and turned his optics away from me. "I tracked you down. We were worried that you would get hurt. Ratchet and the twins accompanied me, when we found you Ratchet plugged in to your processors."

My jaw tightened as I struggled not to purge again.

I knew that nothing would come up, but apparently that didn't deter my body from making me dry heave. Hound was soothingly rubbing my back again while I coughed and gagged. Once it finally subsided he helped me lie back down.

"I'm sorry." I muttered dully, my optics dim. He gave me a startled expression.

"For running? Why? You had every right to run under the circumstances."

I grimaced. Primus... Ratchet must have yelled loud enough for every bot _and_ human on base to know what happened.

"Partly... but mainly cause I threw up on you."

He blinked before laughing softly. "It's alright, doesn't bother me. However, I am worried about how bad of a virus you picked up."

I shivered and moaned, a hand touching my abdomen. "Please don't talk about that."

He offered me a small smile of condolence, but remained quiet as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Suddenly the med-bay doors slammed open, Ratchet storming in with a fiery look in his optics.

"Autumn. How are you feeling?" I looked up tiredly to see Ratchet, his optics focused on me. I just lay there staring at him, not sure what to say. The reality of everything had sunk back in when Ratchet walked in.

A niggling voice suddenly whispered in the back of my processors. **He betrayed you... he used you.** I grit my jaw and servos. _No... no he didn't!_ I thought back.

"Primus femme! Would you answer me!"

I was jerked from my thoughts to stare up at Ratchet. His optics were glaring at me, his features taught with barely constrained rage at being ignored. Silently I rolled over; my wings flicked down and back. I could hear his engine rev in his ire.

"You're fragging impossible! We go through the rain to find you and you don't even thank us?"

I didn't answer him, just stared away into space. His words ghosting over me, brushing against my conscious and then they were gone.

"You're fragging unappreciative. We could have left you." My jaw tightened as my vision swam with coolant. The pain in my spark growing. **They would have left you, you are not vital. You can be disposed of...**

I clenched my optic shutters tightly shut, holding back the sob until I felt Ratchet's and Hound's presence leave. The med-bay doors opening and then closing. My insecurities took hold of me, crushing me from the inside out. _I should have jumped when I had the chance._ I thought weakly, before slipping into recharge to sleep off the virus.

XXX

Not too long later I awoke from recharge feeling exhausted and nauseous. The whole med-bay was in darkness except a small section that was lit up over Ratchets desk.

I glanced up seeing Ratchet sitting at his desk at the moment, working on a data-pad. I swallowed trying to decide if I wanted to make a dash to the trash bin beside him.

I knew he'd probably yell at me, but my tanks were rolling and any minute now I was gonna heave up the energon he must have manually put in my tanks when I was in recharge. I could feel the gurgling sensation crawling up my throat.

Swallowing I shifted and felt the nausea grow. _Slag it all!_ I jumped up and staggered to the bin; he looked up and then froze seeing my sick expression.

"Are you alright?" His sudden gentle tone took me off guard, but the gurgling persisted.

I shook my helm negatively and suddenly purged. Luckily it all went into the trash bin. I felt a gentle servo rubbing my back, while the other was placed gently against my abdominal plating to keep me steady. Ratchet was crouched beside me, taking care of me. _I thought he was angry at me... what's with the sudden mood swing?_ I thought nervously.

A polishing cloth was pressed against my mouth plates, gently wiping the rest of the energon away. I looked up at Ratchet weakly, his optics weirdly gentle.

"Easy, you caught a very nasty virus."

I nodded weakly as he gently picked me up and set me on a berth in front of his desk. I lay on my abdomen, arms crossed to rest under my jaw while my wings fanned out over the berth. I was just too weak at the moment to expend energy on holding them up.

"I apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I was angry at those two fraggers for causing this mess."

I knew it took a lot for Ratchet to apologize; he was just one of those mechs who didn't do it often. I offered him a wane smile.

"It's alright." I mumbled. Suddenly I was flinching as a wrench slammed down on his desk, his optics full of anger and sorrow.

"It's not alright slaggit! Everyone yells and screams sometimes! Pit! I yell and scream _all_ the time, it is not alright! For once in your life cycle quit with the fake smiles, the laughter, quit with the running, and _hit_ some bot! Yell at them, do something besides saying placidly 'it's alright'!"

I blinked in shock and just stared up at him. _Is he... defending me from myself?_ I had never seen Ratchet this passionate about something, it was... inspiring in a way. It felt nice to have someone defend me, even if it was from myself.

 _Bluestreak is the only one who has done this, and even then it wasn't like how Ratchet put it._ My vents hitched at the thought of Bluestreak. _Blue... I want Blue..._ my optics filled with coolant.

Ratchet froze and stared at me, suddenly looking guilty. I looked up at Ratchet and tried to smile. My engine hiccupped as I let out a soft keen. My spark hurt so much, I just wanted my Bluestreak.

"Autumn...?"

I gave another hiccup and started crying. The mech before looked alarmed as I lay there sobbing. I tried to tell him what I wanted, but I couldn't get it out right.

"B'ue... 'nt... ue..." I sobbed out. He looked utterly confused and worried as I lay there crying for a good ten minutes. Once it did die down and awkward silence slowly rolled over like a storm cloud.

"Autumn are you alright?"

I sniffed and looked up at him, coolant threatening to fall again.

"I want Blue..." I was aware that I sounded like a whiny child, but I wanted to make amends. I wanted my love back, but the problem was I didn't know if he wanted me... not after my performance.

I felt the large servo of Ratchet gently touch my shoulder, his optics intense. My bottom lip quivered as my nausea grew again. I leaned over the side of the berth and purged my tanks. Ratchet grimaced as his clean med-bay floor was splashed in purplish liquid.

"Sorry." I mumbled, my optics full of coolant again.

"It's alright femme. You're ill, you can't help that." He sighed softly after speaking, going about getting cleaners to mop up the mess. I sniffed and lay there quietly, contemplating on opening the bond.

Biting my lower lip, I tentatively opened the bond a fraction of an inch. It was open just a crack and I could feel Bluestreak's emotion slam into me like a ton of bricks. I could hear his thoughts... in a way I didn't want to know what he was thinking, but I also did.

 _'Fragger... getting me in trouble...'_ I flinched biting my lower lip. _He might not be thinking about me._ I tried to reason logically.

 **Oh... but how do you know he's not?** _Shut up! He... he can't be!_ **Mmmhmm... you keep believing that.**

I shivered at the cold voice, it was so cruel. I grit my jaw and shuttered my optics, tuning out Ratchet and my surrounding to concentrate on the crack in the bond. To listen to Blue's internal struggle.

 _'I'm such a glitch! I wish she would have let me explain. I could go to med-bay and explain... no, no she wouldn't want to see me... she's already sick and injured because of me! What kind of mate am I?!'_

I could feel myself relax. At hearing those words.

 ** _.:You're an amazing mate... without you I probably wouldn't even be here.:._**

 ** _.:Autumn...?:._**

 ** _.:Nooooo, it's your subconscious.:._**

 _ **.: -laughs- Primus, I can't believe you're talking to me! I'm so, so sorry! I should have explained earlier. Does this mean you forgive me?:.**_ He sounded so excited like a sparkling on Christmas. I took way too much delight in my next words, kind of disturbing if you ask me.

 ** _.:No. Explain, Bluestreak. Now.:._** I smirked feeling his apprehension. Opening the bond a little wider, I could feel his glee at that.

Just because I felt his sudden excitement I snapped the bond almost all the way closed again, feeling panic sweep through him was... exciting. I hated the idea of torturing another, but I felt that he deserved it.

 ** _.:Wait! Autumn, wait! Please!:._**

 **.:Start talking! Do you think it's funny to mess with me! To use me! Well?:.** I snarled angrily. Pain sweeping through my spark again. It felt like being around my sire all over again. Suddenly horror swept through the crack and into my chassis.

 ** _.:No! I could never think it would be funny to do such a thing! I would never use you, never.:._**

 ** _.:...then why did you?:._**

 ** _.:Autumn... I didn't use you.:._**

 ** _.:Why do you feel so guilty then? Is there something you're not telling me, Bluestreak?:._**

 ** _.:What? What are you-:._**

 ** _.:Answer me dammit! My spark is not a toy!:._** I hadn't realized it, but I was snarling and hiccupping on the berth. My stress levels causing my tanks to roil roughly.

 ** _.:Smokescreen bet me to bond with you because I was too scared to ask you!:._** I was deathly quiet, contemplating my next words.

 ** _.:Did you mean the bond?:._**

 ** _.:Of course I did!:._**

 ** _.:Then prove it!:._** I hiccupped the words, my distress flowing through the bond. I snapped it closed and then blocked him from being able to communicate with me.

"Arguing huh?" I looked up at Ratchet; he was leaning against his desk watching me. I nodded and just sniffed softly and buried my face-plates in my arms.

I activated my recharge protocols, not wanting to talk to anyone. I couldn't handle it, I felt as if someone tried to talk to me I'd snap.

Shuttering my optics I let myself sink into recharge. Darkness swamped me, blocked out everything else like a safety blanket.

 **Unknown POV**

It was fascinating the type of rocks he found, the minerals that popped up in abundance in this galaxy. His Blue and silver armor was dimly lit by the distant star, a yellow dwarf only in its early formation.

He grinned and walked across the large rock, looking at all the interesting minerals. Pausing he crouched down to see a block of shimmering brown-red metal known as copper. It was a spicy mineral and good for a bots systems.

Activating his sonic pick he slammed it into the dusty rock, a few more hacks and the chunk of copper came free. Grinning he picked it up and let his sonic pic transform back into his left arm. His right holding the small cyber-mouse sized chunk of copper.

"Element eleven, atomic weight is 63.546, atomic number is 29 and remains a solid at 298 degrees kelvin. More precisely, it's 24.850 degrees Celsius and if broke down further it's 79.730 degrees Fahrenheit!"

The mech spit out the information happily, even if it _was_ just himself on the cold rock circulating the young Yellow Dwarf Star. Looking down he noticed the planet that the rock was orbiting, and the planet was orbiting the Yellow Dwarf.

"Well hello! What kind of Geological wonders are down there I wonder?" The mech smiled behind his face mask, his blue visor shimmering with curiosity. A sudden transmission caught his minds optic; shifting his attention to it he dialed in to listen.

 _"I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars. We are here, we are waiting."_ The mech grinned happily. He wasn't alone.

"Well then, looks like I'm gonna have to come and... check this place out!" The mech quickly sent a signal out to space, toward the new planet.

He hoped the Autobots got his message, because not a second later the mech lunged from the moons surface and activated his traveling cog.

Heading out into deep space and to the planet called... Earth.

 **Prowl's POV**

I looked up from the tracking system that we had created; it was a miniature Teltran-1. The screen was lit up and bleeping, an incoming Autobot signature was shown on the screen.

I couldn't tell who, but I could tell where he, or she, would be landing. I was tense, reading the coordinates. The bot would be landing in New Mexico, close to the border of Texas.

"Optimus. We have an incoming Autobot." Optimus walked over to me, his servos sliding behind his back in a relaxed commanding position.

"Do you have and ETA?" He asked me, his sapphire optics honing in on the screen.

"Yes sir. Twenty-one hundred hours (11:00 PM)." I glanced at my internal chronometer; it was already nineteen-hundred hours.

We had two hours to get to the bot before the cons did. Optimus glanced at me, his optics darkened in thought. Suddenly they brightened telling me that he had made a decision.

"Prowl, I trust you can create a team and have them go collect this bot?"

"Yes sir."

"I shall leave it to you then." Optimus turned and walked away, ever regally. I couldn't help, but to hope that Elita-1 would show up for Optimus' sake.

I quickly shook the thought from my processors and began inputting data into my tactical defense processor.

The statistics showed that we had a fifty percent chance of making it there before the cons, and based on that percentage I calculated that I should send the twins; Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, with Ironhide and Ratchet.

Turning, I quickly made my way through the base; intent on tracking down the said bots to tell them their mission. Then I would find Captain William Lennox and let him decide his human team.

 **Unknown POV**

I landed on the planets surface with out sound-barrier-breaking explosion. Skidding across the warm sand and into a river.

A hissing noise erupted from the cold water cooling off my hot frame; the atmospheric gasses had created a ball of fire around me upon my entrance.

Unfurling, I quickly transformed and stood up. I looked around and didn't see any creatures I could have harmed, much to my immediate satisfaction.

Killing just wasn't in my code, but I had seen too much of it from the Decepticons to _not_ harm _them_. They were the only exception, and that was just barely.

I took off at a brisk jog, accessing the 'internet' and finding an alt mode called a Dune Buggy. Downloading the specs, I felt my blue and silver armor change into the fitting I would need to morph into this particular Earthen vehicle.

"Fascinating, r-r-really fascinating." I grinned, humans were the dominant organic creatures of this planet. Bi-pedal like us Cybertronians and yet they didn't transform, but they _did_ make these vehicles. _Hmmm... I need to study these creatures more through their... world wide web!_

Transforming into said Dune Buggy I sped off across the sand, the glowing rock I had been on hours before now was high up in the sky. I picked up four signatures on my radar, all Autobot and headed my way. Revving my engine I swerved and turned around. _Fellow bots here I come!_


	19. Chapter 19

I finally felt well enough to drink a cube of energon of my own free volition; however I did keep the bin next to me in case it decided to come back up a lot faster than it had gone down.

My spark ached from the closed bond with Bluestreak, but I still kept it blocked. If Blue wanted back in my good graces, to feel me through the bond, he'd have to _earn_ that privilege back.

I knew that I was acting like a sparkling, but I felt that I was in the right. After all, Ratchet even said so. I smirked faintly and took a sip of the sweet pink liquid.

Rolling it around my glossa, feeling the tingling energy within it. All the while I sat watching Ratchet take stock of his items, cleaning, and tuning the ones that needed it.

He told me this morning that a new mech arrived late last night around eleven pm. He didn't seem openly thrilled about the mech, but he wasn't being down right rude while speaking of him.

I had a feeling he'd save that for when the said mech actually came into the med-bay. I took another sip of my energon and tilted my helm, thinking intently.

"Ratchet."

I heard the said medic grunt a curse and drop something; it looked more like a torture device than a medical instrument. I shivered and tried not to look at the shiny, pointy, and very dangerous looking object.

"What?" He turned to look at me, the object held in his large servos. I slowly pulled my optics from the blow torch looking thing and gazed up at him unblinkingly.

"When Prowl and Jazz finish teaching me... what am I going to be doing..." I was worried that I would loose my worth; that they would kick me out. After all, I knew I was sitting scrap metal; a waste of space and disposable.

"That depends on what you want to do. There are many things you could do." Ratchet finally answered after a long moment. His optics seemed to look right through me, gaze upon my self deprecation and into my very spark.

It was the reason why I hated being in Med-bay. Ratchet always knew what others were thinking, he always could tell what the source of the problem was.

I both respected that attribute and despised it. Finally I broke his gaze, turning my helm away. The energon in my servos was no longer of interest, a bitter nauseous feeling settling like sludge in my tanks.

I offered a half-aft shrug of my shoulders, my wings flicked down in thought. _I could be a medic... yeah... then I could be useful! Then they can't get rid of me, I'll be of importance!_

The thoughts quickly came almost hysterically, an edge of panic creeping through my spark. **But what if your importance runs out, what if you can't fix the bots? What then? What will you-** I shook my helm and looked up at Ratchet with wide optics.

"Would you teach me to be a medic?" I blurted out the words quickly. Before the voice could say anything else, drowning out its venomous incapacitating words. Ratchet examined my optics silently, as if looking for something.

"Is that what you wish to do?"

I blinked and nodded. He seemed to contemplate something, some internal battle.

"When you are sure you are better I will work with you to see if you have what it takes. Until then, out!"

I jumped and smiled weakly. Jumping from the berth, I set my cube down and gave Ratchet a quick hug. I could hear his spark thrumming in his chassis. It was steady, it was strong, it was calm.

Quickly pulling back, I looked up into his optics to see his surprised expression. Offering a small meek smile I turned and darted from the room.

Racing through the hallway I bumped into Wheeljack, he was holding some odd little gismo in his servos. I tilted my helm curiously, most would have run… _fast_ , but again I had no idea he would explode... well not he himself, but the objects he held-I was extremely curious when gazing down at the small rounded sphere.

"What's that?" I asked curiously. Wheeljack seemed to perk up, his helm fins lighting up an excited electric blue.

"This, Autumn, is a little device I've been working on. You see, Ratchet has been able to make the holoforms more like humans. Our holoforms have the ability to breath, feel warm, and are solid."

I nodded remembering Bluestreak's epic holoform. The warm smooth skin that was a soft cream, silver-blue hair and intense neon blue eyes... I shook my helm quickly.

"Uh-huh." I chirped softly, curious as to how the holoforms and this little gismo were connected.

"Well I decided to make something else! It's a mass displacement that allows us to interact with humans, but in our actual bodies! We'll all just be a lot smaller and closer to human specs in size!"

I nodded curiously, somehow understanding what he was meaning to its full extent. My processors started bringing up all kinds of different specs and taking the object apart on my HUD to show me how it would work.

"So this mass displacement would allow us to interact with humans, but we would still be metal... fascinating."

"That's what I said!" His fins lit up even brighter if possible. I giggled softly and shook my helm. _Always the eccentric one I suppose._

"Oh, have you met the new mech yet?"

I shook my helm negatively. Wheeljack's helm fins seemed to brighten up considerably.

"Well he's no Perceptor, but he is a good friend of mine! I believe the human term for him would be 'hippie' if I'm not mistaken."

I made a choking noise and burst into hysterical laughter.

I couldn't get the image of the Cybertronian's wearing Tie-dyed T-shirts and smoking weed out of my mind. _Oh Primus, now I have to meet this mech!_ I grinned and bid Wheeljack a polite, yet hasty, farewell and made my way to the main hanger.

Upon entering I noticed a mech whom I hadn't seen before. I paused and crossed my arms over my chassis curiously. The mech was Blue, like a navy blue, with black servos and accents of silver. He had a visor much like Jazz.

Tilting my helm I observed him among the other Autobots. Most of them seemed to stay away from him, especially Ironhide; however Hound seemed to like him.

I glanced over and saw Bluestreak talking with Smokescreen, he seemed really adamant about something if the way he was bowing up with his wings was anything to go by.

I shook my helm and slowly walked over to the newcomer. My wings were tense and on high alert as I silently memorized where everyone was, their movements being collected through the constant data stream of my sensitive wing panels.

"So this is the new bot?" I murmured the words quietly, but both the big green tracker and the unknown mech heard me.

"Well hello. My designation's Beachcomber." I smiled softly back; he seemed like a nice mech. His tone was... very laid back. I could see what Jack meant; I mean the mech was a dune buggy.

"Autumn." I murmured shyly. The mech smiled and tilted his helm. He seemed curious by nature if his posture was anything to go by.

"So what do you do around here?"

I blinked and winced. My earlier insecurities coming forth, rubbing the back of my helm I glanced away nervously. "I'm... gonna be an aid under Ratchet soon, to learn how to be a medic."

He nodded and offered me a gentle smile.

"Well if you ever change your mind, I'm quite the geological dig up. I could teach ya a thing or two!"

I smiled in amusement and shook my helm, but before I could reply I heard a large explosion.

" _Wheeljack_!" The loud roar of Ratchet's voice echoed throughout the entire base, I wouldn't be surprised if it rang across the island.

Suddenly one of the humans, a female medic by the designation Carson, turned to Optimus and Lennox.

"I thought the room we had built for Wheeljack's experimentations could withstand his errors! You said they had the ability to explode, not go off like Krakatoa or even _Hiroshima_!"

Ironhide stepped forward with a loud snort. "Well see… there's a difference. Was it explosion proof, or _Wheeljack_ proof?"

I couldn't help the small laughter that bubbled up and free. _Primus... and I thought I was danger prone!_ I heaved a sigh and glanced at the two mechs beside me.

"You think Jacky will be okay?"

"Oh yeah, he does this all the time. His inventions come out sooner or later!" I smiled in amusement.

"But at what cost?" I murmured quietly.

XXX

Dreams of flying. Dreams of destruction. Dreams of being controlled. I kept seeing a mech with purple armor, highlighted with a dark blue. His visor was crimson, but I couldn't see his mouth plates either because of the face mask. He was mysterious and scary. Powerful and silent.

I had been dreaming of this for awhile, seeing this powerful mech. Frankly, he scared the slag out of me. I would be fast in recharge within the relatively safe confines of my quarters only to be awoken by these nightmares. That's where I was right now.

I sat up in the dark space of my quarters, the berth felt foreign to me. The sight of the mech from my visions was haunting me. I could still _feel_ him in my _helm_. Feel his tentacles attaching to me, holding me down. His monotonous speech, his robotic voice.

I shivered remembering what this one was about. I had been having these for at least two weeks. I awoke from these night terrors so often, that by now I had gotten no recharge in the time that had passed. I practiced with Jazz, went to Prowl for lessons, and studied simple things-such as Cybertronian anatomy-with Ratchet.

 _-Tentacles reaching, pulling, attaching. Face mask shimmering, crimson visor glowing.-_ I shuddered and curled into a ball. Fear quivering in my tanks. Getting up I stumbled to my personal wash-wracks which were parallel to my berth. Stumbling to the Waste-Unit I fell to my knee joints and emptied my tanks.

 _-probing, stabbing, crippling pain. Searching, beating, crawling.-_ I gasped and tried to steady my breath, but to no avail.

 _-Designation: Soundwave. Orders: Obey-_ I shuddered again, my tanks churning. Remembering the way I snarled and spat, clawed and screamed.

 _-Suggestion: Submit.-_ I curled in on myself. Fear condensing and swirling, taking over my consciousness.

 _-Yet a part of me_ craved _to submit to this beast. Told me it was for the best, took over my processor with a hazy sheen. I found myself answering..-_

"Yes master" I blinked my optics wide open. _Why the_ frag _did I just say that?_ A sob tore up through my throat, curled in my abdomen with far greater intensity than before. I heaved harshly, dry heaving now.

I hadn't been able to keep down any energon, I hid it from the others, but I knew that Ratchet would notice. Then questions, that I did not want to answer, would be spewed. I shivered and slowly pulled away from the Waste-Unit.

I sucked in air through my vents raggedly, attempting to cool my systems in vain. Steam was literally wafting from my frame, curling and rising higher.

I let out a whine and slowly crawled forward, something inside of me was begging. I wasn't sure what it was begging for; it was like it was crying out for some force. A force to protect it, _control_ it. I stood up slowly and tried to brush it off.

 _That's impossible!_ With a soft growl I walked from my room. I tried to ignore the feeling of _something_ in my helm. I couldn't place it; it wasn't like the nasty voice that spoke up whenever it wanted.

This... this feeling was real. It was tangible and that made it all the more frightening. I shivered and tried to ignore the dull itch until it turned into a full blown menace.

I kept trying to walk normally and keep up a neutral expression, but the feeling was prodding and pressing. It was searching. I suddenly couldn't take the feeling anymore. Turning around, and not realizing that I was right in front of the rec room, I started snarling at the invisible force.

"Why the frag won't you leave me alone! _Stop it_!" I stood there glaring at nothing and everything. All was suddenly silent before a heavy servo gently dropped on my shoulder. I jumped and squeaked, looking up into the face-plates of Optimus Prime.

"Autumn, are you alright? Perhaps you should seek council with Smokescreen." I suddenly realized he was suggesting that I was mentally incompetent and should seek a therapist.

"Oh okay, so now you think I'm mentally incompetent as well? Oh that's lovely!" I pulled out from under his servo, my optics bright with anger. I looked up seeing a few bots watching me with scrutinizing gazes.

"What are you all looking at?" They jumped and glanced away, all but Bluestreak whom was watching me with a worried expression. He slowly took a step forward and glanced at Optimus nervously, walking over he gently touched my wrist.

"Autumn? Come on sweet spark, let us have a talk." I suddenly set my gaze on him. My optics burning even more brightly. Snarling I suddenly smacked him. _Hard_.

His helm whipped to the side, but he silently moved his helm to gaze at me. Snarling I slapped the other side of his face-plates, denting, and scratching the silver metal.

Gasps could be heard, but no one moved to stop me. Smokescreen moved closer, but I just ignored him. Psychologist-interrogator be damned, if he snuck up on me I'd tear him apart. **And how will you do that? You can't even get a lick on Jazz...**

"Shut up!" Bluestreak jumped slightly at my unfocused look, my snarled words echoing. I clutched my helm between my servos and bent over ever so slightly, trying to block out the probing feeling and the voice.

I was terrified, I was angry. No scratch that, I was slagged off. Slagged off at everything and anything. I was practically begging someone to test my patience and say something else.

"Great, you're bonded to a glitch."

That was my snapping point. I turned on Ironhide whom had suddenly appeared and lunged. I snarled and slammed into him, his large servos grabbing my dainty forearms as if I weighed nothing and picked me up. I snarled and spat, twisting, and turning, but it did no good.

He didn't let go, instead he whirled me around and slammed my back into a wall. My wings flaring in pain, an agonized cry leaving my lip plates. Suddenly there was the sound of engines growling, someone removed Ironhide's servos from me forcefully, but it wasn't Bluestreak.

Smokescreen had positioned himself protectively in front of me. His blue armor gleaming in the light at he stared Ironhide down, Optimus and Wheeljack were holding Bluestreak back so a recurrence of my first failed training session didn't happen. Pit knows, Ratchet would tear us all a new one if we came in injured... again.

"Smokescreen, Ironhide, Bluestreak. Stand down." I heard Optimus rumble, but I couldn't take my optics off of Ironhide. _I am not a glitch, I am not a glitch!_ It became a mantra in my helm.

I was trying to persuade myself that there was nothing wrong with me, but I knew deep down that there was. I couldn't shake it. Smokescreen shifted ever so slightly to block my view of Hide and his view from me.

"Leave my brother's mate _alone_." His voice was cold, chilling to the spark. I could hear an engine revving; most probably it was Ironhide's.

"Why? She started it! She's a fraggin' glitch! A pit-spawned glitch at that!" His snarled voice struck a cord deep within me. Something snapped; something that I hadn't realized had been healing. The emotional and mental scars that had mostly scabbed over were now wide open and bleeding.

I choked back a noise in the recesses of my throat, my spark burning with agony. _-Suggestion: Submit... Order: Obey... crippling pain... tentacles attaching, pinning...-_

I shoved past Smokescreen and took off running, the small group of mechs parting like the Red Sea before me. I sprinted down the hallways, my emotions running hay wire. _Why can't I get control! Why can't I heal? What's wrong with me... I attacked him... I just proved I was insane... will they kick me out for being unstable?_

I choked back the noise of pain and slid out of the main hanger. I didn't slow down but merely lunged forward and transformed in midair. As soon as my tires hit the ground the last piece of metal slid into place. I could feel the heat from the rubber as they squealed down against the ground for a moment, and then I was shooting forward.

 _-Suggestion: Submit... probing, stabbing, crippling pain. Searching, beating, crawling-_ I drove as fast as I could, trying to ignore the memories that had felt so _real_. I tried to block out Ironhide's voice. _-A pit-spawned glitch at that! Pit-spawned glitch. Glitch.-_ I swerved out onto open rode and drove off to my sulking spot: the cliff.

When I arrived I transformed and sat down on the edge, dangling my legs over. Coolant was building up in my optics, dripping down my face-plates. I couldn't ignore the agony any longer. I truly was a mistake.

I was heaving for breath, pain swathing my spark. I keened lowly, my wings dipping low on my back just like the sun was just beginning to rise over the curve of the ocean.

"Hound said I'd probably find you here."

I looked up sharply to see Bluestreak standing there. The early dawn light washed across his armor, turning the silver-blue coloration a sparkling golden orange. My own turquoise armor no doubt glowing like the sparkling waters below. A deep sorrow was held in those cerulean optics, glinting and flickering like a breaking wave.

I turned away and hugged my arms to my body. A soft noise of pain leaving my chassis, a deep soothing rumble was my answer. It was a primal reply, the reply of a protector crooning to his protected.

"I'm sorry." He murmured gently in my audio receptors, his warm servos pulling me tentatively to his chassis. I clung to him, far too emotionally exhausted to ignore him any longer. I was too emotionally drained to hold out on my own. I _needed_ him to support me.

"Let me in..." His voice gently crooned in my audio, his warm servos sliding over my lowered wing panels. Who was I to ignore? After a moments hesitation I slowly lowered my walls, my side of the bond bare for him to enter.

I felt his consciousness sweep against my own, the strain I had been feeling was suddenly gone. The pain being smoothed over by the balm of his love.

 ** _.:Stay with me?:._** I murmured through the bond, my spark aching for his.

 ** _.:I would rather be no where else.:._** Bluestreak's words filled me with hope, his spark generating strength and love. Suddenly I was clawing at his chassis, my optics filling with coolant again. I had to know he was there, to reestablish the strained bond. I could barely feel him.

The glowing light of the dawn sun washed over us, heating our wing panels and soothing the loneliness in our optics. His chassis split apart as he pulled me away from the edge, settling me into his lap, his protoform armor sliding back as well to show his park casing.

His casing too followed example, opening his self to me without a thought. I didn't have to ask twice, I didn't have to ask aloud, he simply opened up for me.

My optics filled with coolant as I opened my own armor and pulled his chassis to mine. I felt my casing move and suddenly our sparks were reconnecting, reestablishing a severing bond.

We had almost lost each other because of my stupidity, I could have offlined us. I felt his soothing touch, him telling me it was okay. I wailed aloud and through the bond, clinging to him through both.

I felt him do the same, our sparks merging and bringing forth the connection that I had oh so craved. To feel my lover within my spark, to feel him soothing my nightmares, to feel him healing those open wounds.

His love was the stitches to my spark, pulling me back together and fixing the damage done. I could feel his determination as he fixed upon that, brushing against my pain-soothing the ache.

I whimpered and curled closer, grinding my hips to his. He emitted a warm huff of air over my face-plates as he shifted me onto my back, our sparks still connected.

He made sure to keep my wings from getting hurt on any rocks or branches, but I could have cared less at the moment. I just wanted my mate. Slowly he pulled his chassis from my own, a soft keen pulled from my lips as our casings spun back into place.

He ran his digit gently along the seam of my pelvic armor, I hiccupped a soft keen. My plating shifting to allow him in, his warm glossa lapping at my inner thigh. Teasing my core.

I bucked my hips, asking for more. I could feel his warm breath huffing over my sensitive parts, his digits coming up to stroke me gently. I felt him shift my legs over his shoulders, the warm early morning sun framing his face-plates.

I gasped at the sight, it was beautiful. He smiled and gently kissed my hip armor, kissed my abdomen, caressing my waist and thighs with touches filled with love and not lust.

He was indulging my need for physical contact as well as mental and emotional, he knew that I needed him and so he provided. Primus.. .how did I get such a good mate? I could feel his love for me through the bond swell.

 ** _.:You're beautiful and wonderful. The most exquisite creature I've ever seen.:._** I felt my face-plates burn, and it wasn't from the sun light. Suddenly he dipped his helm down and gently drug his glossa along my port, among the sensitive neural nets of my inner thighs.

I cried out, grabbing his helm. My legs curling against his shoulders as he continued his administrations. Pleasure building and rippling as he drove me to overload. I bucked my hips, vision, and audios fading into static. After a moment I felt him move my legs from off of his shoulders. My armor shifting back over my port after he cleaned me up-much to my chagrin-with a tenderness that surprised me.

I gasped for cool air, vents ragged as he pulled me up against him. Our bond renewed and strong with feelings of love and adoration. I relaxed against him, content at having him shower me with affection. I had missed this, him loving on me and showing me how much he cared. I picked up on the subtle purring noise echoing from his chassis. Smiling, I cuddled up to him further.

 ** _.:I've missed this... Thank-you for coming to find me my love.:._** I said through the bond, spark swollen with joy.

 ** _.:I would go the ends of the Earth, of the galaxies for you Autumn.:._** I shivered, hearing the dark promise of retribution to any whom harmed me under toning his words. It was flattering and fear inducing at the same time.

 ** _.:Still... thank-you for dealing with my moodiness.:._** I said earnestly, amusement echoing from him to me.

 ** _.:-laughs- I love you and accept you for who you are. Your moodiness is within that range of acceptance unless I was mistaken.:._**

 ** _.:-giggles- mhmm... Nice save.:._** I found myself drifting off, my body relaxing against his. A soft chuckle, a deep purring engine, and warm servos running along my spinal platings, were my last conscious memories of him before I passed into a dreamless recharge.

 ** _.:I love you:._** His words echoed, drifting through the sea of darkness that tugged me under. Holding me, caressing me, loving me.

 ** _.:I love you too.:._**


	20. Chapter 20

A gasp left my lips as I sat up quickly. Looking around the dark quarters my optics quickly shifted to night vision mode. I felt the warm weight of Bluestreak's arm across my waist, his smooth vents telling me he was in recharge.

Swallowing, I gazed down at the mech that held my spark. He lived up to his designation in the dark recesses of night, his armor shimmering a deep blue.

A splash, a streak of blue against the pitch black. I smiled wearily and heaved out a sigh. I knew I wouldn't be getting anymore recharge this lunar cycle, not by a long run.

With a tenderness born from trust and love, I gently grabbed his large servo between my own two dainty ones and moved his arm away from my waist. I glanced over his recharging frame, checking to make sure he was comfortable.

I smiled and curled his arm gently under his helm, his wings flared out with a twitch. I froze, hoping the sensitive panels hadn't picked up on the disturbance. After a moment his silvery blue wings relaxed back down again.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I carefully made my way to our quarters doors. Pressing the pad to open it I waited for it to obey the command. I heard a shifting on the berth, my wings perking up at the noise. The door opened, but the smooth sleepy voice paused my voice.

"Love? Where are you going?" I winced and turned around, looking upon my mate's frame. He was twisted to lay on his hip, wings splayed out awkwardly.

His optics dim, but slowly growing brighter, the arm I had shifted under him was flexed out across the berth while his other was propping his jaw up. _Primus he's adorable..._

"I'll be right back Blue, I promise."

He was quiet for a moment, optics brightening as he studied me. Slowly he sat up with sluggish movements.

"I'll come with you."

Immediately I walked back over and gently pressed him back against the berth, placing a loving kiss to his lips.

"It's alright Blue, just rest." I murmured quietly, my lips hovering above his, optics locked on his. I could see the small rings and bits of metal that made up his vibrant optics, they were twisting and twirling to focus better.

"You sure?" He murmured softly.

I offered a gentle smile, bringing up a servo to smooth my slender digits over his wing. I could feel him shudder slightly at the touch, optics dimming in contentment.

"Yes. I'll be back in a jiff." He nodded and slowly lay back down, I bent over him to place a lingering kiss on his helm. My lip plates pressing the softest touch to the back of his helm, just above the cables and energon lines of his neck.

Once I heard his systems begin to cycle back down I retreated from the room. It wasn't that I didn't want my mate there with me; it was just that sometimes I needed to figure things out by myself.

Sighing heavily I carefully slunk down the halls. I crept as quietly as I could past Prowl's, Optimus', and Jazz's offices. Past the med-bay and into the main hanger. _Those lessons with Jazz are beginning to pay off..._ I thought with a small bit of triumph.

Slowly I allowed myself to relax, the calming sea breeze brushing past my overly warm frame. My wings flexed up and out to catch the cool caressing air.

Sighing heavily I stalked along the shore, the salty mist spraying up from the dark waves. White froth spewing forth from the thunderous crashing water. It greatly reminded me of foam dripping from a rabid foxes mouth.

Sighing, I trudged forward across the sand. My wings flicking in the wind, catching it just right. The sand it carried scratched against my wings in a pleasant way, not painful in the slightest.

I flicked my gaze away from the waves and onto the sand, the usually golden grit was bleached a silver-white in the moons glow. The dream I had awoken from came unbidden. I shivered remembering what had happened. A memory loop taking place of my consciousness.

 _My wrists burned in agony, the energon chains holding me up were slowly melting my armor. A keen of pain was trying to burst forth, but I grit my denta against the throbbing fire in my joints. I wouldn't scream, nor beg for mercy. I wouldn't, I refused._

 _The femme stood there, she was a Praxian like I was. Her armor a shade of deep navy blue with highlights of black, inky like the vastness of space. Her vibrant red chevron glowing sharply above her equally crimson optics._

 _"So you're the famous Smokescreen! Elder sibling of the Autobot Datsuns..." Cruel emotionless giggles and laughter. Agony searing through my chassis as I watched her walk from me and to my older brother. I couldn't just stand there! But I was trapped, chained up and made to watch my eldest sibling be tortured._

 _I couldn't take the agony anymore, a howl of misery burst forth from my mouth plates..._

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, closing my optic shutters tightly. A sob making its way up through my throat. The dream had felt so real, as if I really was there! Only it wasn't me... it was through another's optics, it was through Bluestreak's optics.

 _-tentacles pinning, burning, searing. Intrusion of mind, processor thrumming under another's command...-_ I clamped my servos against my helm, coolant spilling down my face-plates even though my shutters were closed. A gasp left my lips, spark thrumming with pain.

Suddenly I felt an alertness through the bond. Worry penetrating, a soothing imaginary touch to my spark, to my soul. I could feel the mech on the other end searching for me, distantly I felt two others enter my spark.

Bluestreak's siblings were reaching out to me through the bond they shared with him; I was connected to them as well, albeit weakly.

I dropped to my knees, the agony rising in my helm, the presence of another probing and crushing. Sweeping agonizing imaginary claws along my circuits. Three pairs of heavy pede steps, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me and suddenly my resolve was cracking and breaking. A keen left my lips, warm servos smoothing over my wings.

 _-pain, merciless. Tentacles probing, tearing, pinning...-_ I felt something connect with the back of my helm, a soothing presence sweeping through my processors. Gentle imaginary servos pushing the memories back, darkness taking over.

 **Bluestreak's POV**

I awoke slowly to the feeling of warm servos lifting my arm and placing it under my helm. I flared my wings, twitching them. I could feel the waves of energy and movement giving me a blue outline of my mate.

The energy crackling and forming an effervescent blue image of her form behind my closed optics. She was beautiful as always. I knew she didn't believe me when I told her these things, but they were true; and I would continue to tell her every day.

Slowly I relaxed my wings, keeping a silent visual on her with them. _Where is she going?_ She trekked quietly to the door and pressed a few commands. Slowly I onlined my optics dimly and shifted my arm out across the berth in a half afted stretch.

Rolling onto my side to face the door, one of my wings resting lightly on the berth while the other flared up in the air behind me. I casually rested my helm on my servo, the curled digits lightly pressing into my face-plates.

"Love? Where are you going?" I felt her signature spike as she whirled around looking startled. She stood there studying me quietly, as if trying to determine how to speak her thoughts.

"I'll be right back Blue, I promise." I brightened my optics further, slowly shifting to sit up. My movements were slow and strained, joints complaining as I got my energon going a little more quickly through my systems.

"I'll come with you." I grunted.

Primus, I needed to see Ratchet about the grit clogging up my joints. Slagging island sand, far too fine and easily able to grind our rotary joints down. Suddenly Autumn was moving to stand in front of me, even with me laying down and her standing up I found her to be so petite and fragile looking.

She placed a gentle servo to my chassis and tried to force me to lay back down. I humored her by laying back, but hesitation kept me from fully relaxing. Her lips gently touching my own, startling me, but I kissed her back fervently.

"It's alright Blue, just rest." I heard her murmur quietly. How could I not hear her? Her voice was like music to my audios, so silky and sweet. So _Feminine_.

Her lips hovered above my own, optics locked on mine. My optics were having trouble focusing in on her; not only was she close, but I was just way to tired to concentrate properly.

"You sure?" I murmured softly. She offered a gentle smile, bringing up a servo to smooth her slender digits over my wing. I gave a shudder slightly at the touch, my optics dimming in contentment. She knew just how to drag her digits along the panels to calm my worries.

"Yes. I'll be back in a jiff." I nodded and slowly lay back down in my original position. Laying on my abdomen with my arms crossed under my helm. I could feel her shift; she bent over me to place a lingering kiss on my helm.

I could feel her lip plates lingering on the back of my cranial unit, just above the cables and energon lines. A deep shudder swept through my circuits, but it wasn't unpleasant.

Quite the contrary actually. Shuttering my optics I caved under the commands of my processors, allowing them to override my systems and force me into recharge.

About thirty Earth minutes later, or 3.614 breams later, I felt panic and fear sweep through the bond. Immediately my optics flashed online, the shutters flicking open.

I sat up, all drowsiness and aching joints were forgotten. I could feel my siblings confusion through the bond; I simply held my mate's bond open wider for them to feel her.

I sent soothing emotions to my bonded, silently reaching through the invisible tether to caress her mentally. To hold her close. I could feel Smokescreen react first, reaching through the bond tentatively to my mate.

Prowl not to soon after seemed to have finally caught up to the fact that his student, and my mate, was in danger from something. I threw my legs over the side of the berth and stood up, my wings flaring to pick up pede steps moving my way.

Opening the door I quickly stepped out; the sight of my brothers already moving down the hallway calmed me slightly.

"What's going on?" Smokescreen murmured. His optics holding a harsh gleam to them. I shook my helm in confusion, I was baffled.

"I'm not sure, but if I know one thing we'll find most likely find her by the ocean. She always goes for walks along the shore line!" I took off sprinting to the main hanger, leaving my brothers to catch up.

I pulled on the bond, strengthening the feeling of my mate. We would have to touch sparks again soon to strengthen it. Our first bonding hadn't been strengthened, it had been ignored. The bond would take awhile to settle and sharpen to a healthy link.

I continuously sent her feelings of love; my worry was seeping into it. Turning the feeling almost bitter. Halfway down the beach I saw her tiny frame curled over, holding her helm as if to block out the sound of missiles.

My spark sped up almost painfully as it slammed against its casing. Begging, screaming, and reaching for my mate. I slid to a stop, the pliable ground shivering from the massive steps of my siblings. Crouching down I ran my digits down her back, she flinched.

I cringed inwardly looking her over; I knew what she was going through immediately: a memory loop. I had seen soldiers fall into them plenty enough to know what it was. I had also observed how Ratchet linked up to their systems to alleviate the problem.

I knew I shouldn't be the one to link up to her right now; it was too dangerous seeing as I wasn't a medic. However, if I did not do it I would prolong her suffering by waiting for Ratchet.

 _Scrap it all to the pit! Slag Ratchets rules!_ I hurriedly opened my wrist gauntlet, pulling out my cord.

"Bluestreak!" I looked up at the hissed words to see Prowl.

"What?" I snarled back, anger pulsating throughout my systems.

"You should wait for Ratchet, Blue, I just contacted him." I scowled and emitted a rumbling snarl.

"No! My mate's hurting; I won't wait on the old slagger!" That's when the wrench hit me in the back of my helm. I yelped and looked up to see Ratchet glowering, his vents heaving slightly while trying to catch up to his over heated systems.

"I'm not old thank-you very much. Now shut-up and let me work!" He moved past me angrily, pulling a cord out of his own wrist and crouched in the sand. He gently pulled her against him; she immediately began struggling as if in a trance.

Ratchet quickly pinned her beneath him, a snarl rising up through me. I had to force my protective protocols down; Ratchet was only trying to help her.

I watched him carefully as he opened up a panel on the back of her helm and plugged up to her. Within moments she relaxed, her frame sagging into the sand. After a moment Ratchet pulled away and glared at me.

"Why did you do that?" He was growling at me, optics dark.

"Do what?" I was really confused.

"Share your memories! She was having a memory loop of your time behind con lines! Bluestreak, you know the dangers of mating with a Cyberling!" I flinched, I hadn't even thought of that. She wouldn't know how to deal with my memories.

I looked away guilty while Ratchet simply picked my mate up, holding her upper half while trying to get her to respond. _My memories could have harmed her, what if she had been driving?_ A pained keen left my lips.

"Bluestreak." I looked up at Ratchet, his tone was _much_ more gentle. When he was that calm, it was _never_ a good thing.

"Y-yes...?"

"Keep a better watch on your mate... I picked up on something in her processors when I was hacking into the memory loop." I froze and stood up straight, feeling my brothers worry build.

"What did you pick up Ratchet?" Prowl spoke up calmly, a tint of worry laced through his normally stoic voice.

"I picked up on the essence of Soundwave; he's been probing her processors... I don't know how he could do that without being close to her... I know he is a mind reader, but this should be impossible!" Ratchet seemed angry, but I knew it was worry.

"Not unless there's some type of slave programming, or perhaps a connection between them... which I highly doubt considering she's been on base this whole time. Still though, this is odd. We need to report this incident to Optimus and get the security heightened."

Smokescreen spoke up firmly, concern interlacing his tone. He was a psychologist; his guess was a real possibility; especially considering he had had some experiences with this back on Cybertron. Nobel mechs having connections similar to that with their slaves.

"Maybe Wheeljack would know what it is and what to do?" I murmured worriedly. After all, Wheeljack had been a slave in the coal mines at one point back on Cybertron. However, he managed to get rid of his coding and get free to become an inventor.

The thought brought me hope, but I was still crestfallen. We didn't even know for certain if it _was_ that type of coding. I forgot about the memory loop and stared down at my unresponsive mate, thinking back to all the times in the past two weeks she had seemed off.

It was as if... she were someone else at times. Sometimes vicious in training, sometimes striking out at fellow bots for the slightest things. Then there was the time with Hide when she had actually _attempted_ to hurt him. I shivered. _Primus... if it_ is _some type of coding... how did it get there and_ why _?_

Ratchet huffed a sigh. His large frame hovering over the femme as she slowly came back online.

"It's moments like these that I wish Perceptor were here... Wheeljack may know what it is, Bluestreak, but only Perceptor could fix it efficiently." My wings flicked down despondently. The warm servo of Smokescreen falling on my shoulder joint.

"It's alright Blue, we'll figure this out. If one thing's for sure, that no good _computer_ won't get his filthy servos on her. I can surely bet on that." I grimaced not wanting to think of Soundwave getting a hold of her. _Oh yeah? And look what happened with your last bet involving her._ I thought irritably. I could only hope that it wouldn't end up with her in the Cons servos, Primus I couldn't bear the thought.


	21. Chapter 21

**Ratchet POV**

I carried the femme in my arms quickly across the shore line, my processors swimming with worry. The femme hadn't had any fire wall updates or even any type of defensive software installed. I was worried for her mental health, worried that if I went in to do to much it would do more harm than good.

Now I see that I was wrong. I needed to go through her processor, I needed to check to see how her mental state was. To see what damage was done to what areas, from both when she was a human and now.

Walking into med-bay I shut the door in the faces of the three Datsuns following me. For extra precaution I entered the security code to keep them from entering. Looking over at her I could feel the spark in my chassis tug.

She could barely online, her systems stalling and keeping her under. She suddenly seemed very young to me, something that disturbed me greatly. She was in her adult frame, and yet something about her screamed youth and innocence.

Sighing, I walked past her and grabbed a large machine with many cables and cords. It was called a Processor Synthesizer. A machine used more for interrogation now than for medical purposes; it was something that saddened me to no end. Tools built for healing were now used to torture.

 **.:Prowl to Ratchet.:.** I huffed, but answered anyways. I needed to get started, but a quick glance at the femme told me she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

 **.:Yes Prowl?:.** I snapped irritably.

 **.:Please let me know when you are finished examining the femme.:.** The SIC's smooth voice came back completely calm. No matter how slagged off and rude I was, he was always fragging _calm_. It irritated me to no end, and yet I respected it.

 **.:Fine, but keep your siblings busy. Ratchet out.:.** With that I cut the com. Link and turned to the green femme on the berth. Shaking my helm I gently shifted her onto her abdomen and opened the back of her cranial unit.

Looking over the back of her helm I picked up one of the cables and carefully inserted it. It had been awhile since I had used this machine, but I still remembered where everything went luckily. Within a few breams I had a labyrinth of cables and cords leading from the back of her helm to the machine.

I turned on the machine so it could do its scanning of her processor, looking through all of her files and into her coding. Checking her processors for any damage what so ever. Looking at the last little slot I slowly sat down beside her, pulling out my cable jack I slid it into the slot and closed my optics.

The familiar void acted as a vacuum pulling my cognitive state from my own frame and into hers. Within moments I was within her processor. Everything was scrambled, it was a wonder that the poor thing could even function properly.

With a gentleness sparked from millions of vorns of being a medic I slowly shifted carefully through her processor. Everything seemed rattled, trampled, sifted through with no heed of caution. It made me angry that someone would do this; it was low even for a Con.

Her basic files gave way to more intimate bits: her memory and emotion core. I took a cursory glance at the basic files and inwardly snorted, the machine could sort those.

However, I needed to personally go through her memory and emotion core to check on her. The computer wouldn't be able to do it accurately, but I could. I paused before the core of her being, and gave an internal wince.

What I was about to do was extremely intrusive; I was delving into her very consciousness. Seeing her very being through her optics. It was almost as intrusive as seeing a bot's spark. I frowned, thinking back on when she was a human.

 _How badly_ was _she damaged by her mech creator, mentally wise that is?_ She seemed to be healing rather nicely, but that didn't mean anything. I'd seen bots who had made themselves look perfectly stable, and yet on the inside they were the most insane of the bunch.

Of course you also had bots like Redalert who showed how bad off they really were. Huffing wearily I pressed forward, a bright glow seemed to engulf my consciousness and then I was one with her cognitive core processor.

XXX

 _Soft laughter bubbled up in my throat while I played with my mom; I was only two years old. Not old enough to understand why she was always in trouble with my father._

 _"Mommy! Mommy! Look a' wha' I got!" I held up a single white flower, a gentle laugh fell from her lips. She picked me up and held me close to her, nuzzling our faces together._

 _"Oh aren't you such a sweet girl!" I giggled softly; but like all things, our fun had to end._

 _I looked up as the door burst open, my father stalking in with the distinct smell of booze lingering on him._

 _"You bitch!" My father slurred before smacking my mother. My eyes were wide, filled with tears as he ground his foot down on my flower. The white petals shredding and tearing, just like my innocence. My fathers drunken form beat my mother, and I was powerless to do anything but watch..._

 _-blood staining white flowers. Evil tainting all that is pure.-_

 _I was five, my father snagging me by my hair as I tried to run from him. A loud cry of pain left my lips; he hated it when I cried._

 _He brought his fist to the side of my chubby cheek, tears swelling up in my eyes as I cried and wailed loudly. I tried to crawl away from his angered frame, fear welling up inside of me._

 _"Stop wailing!" He pulled out a knife and grabbed me by my hair again. I let out another wail of agonizing fear, then blood spattered the floor as he slid his knife across my throat. He grinned evilly and picked up a phone._

 _"You're not getting off as easily as that whore you called your mother!" He dialed in something and pretended to sob._

 _"Hello, 911! It's my daughter! I was cooking and she came over and grabbed my wrist, before I could stop her the blade hit her throat! Please, come quick!"_

 _Sirens wailed in the night, paramedics 'comforting' my father. I was loaded up and sent to the ER for immediate surgery. I would never be able to talk again. The police asked no questions, they just sent me back to the monster._

 _Again and again I was sent back to the monster, after every visit. Police officers, medics, anyone of authority always sent me back. I began to harbor a deep hatred, and fear, for authoritative figures. After all, why should I respect those who didn't help those in need. They pledged to help others, and yet they sent me back. They. Sent. Me. Back._

 _-blood staining the white, vanity and greed stealing the innocence. Seven deadly sins reenacted over and over again. Falling, calling, silently begging for help. A silent plea unheard...-_

 _I sat in the classroom, ten years old now. Other children shunned me; I went unnoticed by the teachers. I wasn't even registered on the radar; I was a blip that was forgotten as soon as I appeared._

 _-Falling, calling, silently begging for help. A silent plea unheard...-_

 _Thirteen now, blood stained my pants. I had heard of other girls talking about this, it was normal right? I swallowed and covered myself with rags, hiding the rust that fell from my core._

 _Agony searing my innards. Was I okay? I had no one to ask, my mother was dead. I only had the monster here._

 _-Crimson stained the white, a slicing blade across thy throat. A rose falling from its stem and turning black without its hope-_

 _Sixteen today, no birthday acknowledgment yet again. Looking up at the sky as I sat on the roof I wondered again about my mother. Silently a tear slid down my face._

 _Was she proud of me? Did she miss me? I sure did miss her, even if she was only a blurry figure of my memories. Father said she left because of me, was that true? I shivered and let out a silent sob, my teeth clenching as tears fell on my clenched fists._

 _I was alone, so utterly alone._

 _-innocence and instinct, pride and humility. The basic compositions of a person, but I was none, who was I?-_

 _Laying there in the forest, pain sweeping through me. A gentle voice, soothing hands._

 _-they gave me back... m-m-mommy help me!-_

 _Agony taking over, I was changing. Metal exploding out, skin disintegrating._

 _-You lied! It was a bet?!-_

 _I'd traded one prison for another..._

 _-m-m-mommy help me!-_

 **XXX**

I quickly pulled out of her memory core. I was disoriented. Her memories were so scattered, so full of _incredible_ amounts ofagony. She was so young, _way_ too young to have a mate, and yet she acted like an adult.

She feared authoritative figures; that was why she often bowed up at Prowl. She was scared he would give her back to her sire. Her sparkling like consciousness telling her he was bad, that he meant her harm.

Wearily I moved into her emotion core. Nothing was stable, everything scattered like it had been hit by a shrapnel bomb. I winced; she was scared of us, _all_ of us. Everyone, but Blue. I had seen how he was with her in her memories. Her memories of him were _very_ clear. I saw how he held her, how he kissed her, how he made love with her.

She craved his touch not as a mate, but as something immutably stable. She didn't know what she wanted, so she bonded with him. Her systems were too young, too innocent. She was, but a mere youngling and that was stressing it! She had the core stability of a sparkling!

Pulling from her consciousness I opened my optics and unplugged my cable. I was trying to restrain my anger and repulsive feelings toward her sire. Toward the adults and various authorities she had had experience with in her life cycle.

The reason she had never come to speak with one of them openly was now known. I had to report this to Prime, Prowl, and Jazz. I checked to make sure that she was still in deep stasis; the machine wasn't even _near_ being finished processing. I winced at that. Primus, we have a lot to fix.

I couldn't believe that I hadn't caught this earlier! I was furious with myself. I was the best damned medic on Cybertron, how had I missed this?

 **.:Ratchet to Prowl:.**

 **.:Prowl here:.**

 **.:Gather Prime and Jazz in the war room for a meeting.:.**

 **.:Affirmative. Permission for the status of the femme?:.**

 **.:I'll tell you more when I get there, but she is stable.:.**

 **.:Good, the meeting will start in a bream. Prowl out.:**

With that the connection was cut. I walked down the hallways, watching for humans. The memories of the femme were replaying over and over in my helm. _How has she survived this long? It was no wonder her psyche was starting to crumble!_

She was glitching almost as bad as Redalert from the stress on her systems. She needed a stable guardian to remedy the problem. Stepping into the war room I looked over the three waiting mechs and hit the security key, the door wouldn't open to anyone from the outside now.

I then pressed another button making the sound-barrier shields come up. Now we wouldn't have to worry about eavesdroppers. _Such as the twins..._ I thought with a grumble.

"Ratchet, old friend. Why have you called this meeting?" I turned to look at the Prime, my optics grim.

"I called it because I have news on the femme."

"News? What? Is she ill or somethin'?" Jazz rumbled from his spot. His visor darkening to a deep indigo, almost black. The usual sign of him masking his true emotions, but I knew him all too well. He was worried. After all, Jazz _had_ taken to looking at her in a sibling type of fashion.

I leaned forward with a heavy sigh, rubbing the metallic plates that made up my fore helm. I was exhausted mentally, my processors swirling with the data. She was just a youngling? She had seemed older as a human by the way she acted, I had just presumed... yet she had a guardian, which should have been my first clue!

"Ratchet?" I looked up to see the three mechs watching me, my fists clenched on the table. Sucking in a deep vent I let it rush out in an overheated huff.

"When I was scanning the femme's processor I came across sensitive information pertaining to her past as a human. Everything up until this point I have looked through thoroughly, whilst the Synthesizer is going through her programming to look for any problems there."

"Ahm sensin' a bug." Jazz rumbled softly. His lip plates no longer showing human, but instead were set in a deep line of aggravation. Sighing heavily I looked at Optimus, my spark pulsing painfully in my chassis.

"I don't know how I didn't catch it faster, she's so young Optimus. Young and not innocent at the same time. She has experienced much and in time it has made her far older than she should be. However, her core processors are still functioning in the rhythm of that of a late sparkling to early youngling."

All was silent, all but swirling vents and thrumming systems. Suddenly Prowl leaned forward, his digits tapping at a data pad. He always did that when he was uncomfortable or stressed. By the stance of his door wings I would say that he was uncomfortable.

"If that is the case Ratchet, then how did her programming allow her to bond with my sibling? A youngling's programming protects little ones from these kinds of rash decisions."

I scowled and leaned back, again letting my gaze drift over my fellow officers. The three mechs I had fought with for millennium, healed them, ran after them like a fem-bot to keep them in line even. Huffing I offlined my optics and set my helm in my servos.

"She doesn't have those kinds of programs Prowl. They were never set up because we automatically assumed she was old enough to handle herself!" I snarled angrily, pain pulsing in my spark at the realization that this femme was still very much way too young. She was far too young for the intimacies of Bluestreak, far too young for war, and way too scared to let us help her.

"So you are saying that the femme is still a minor and therefore should not be able to make decisions by herself?" Optimus asked softly, leaning forward to place his large servos on the table top.

I lifted my helm and flicked my optics back online, gazing up at the regal Prime. His optics shadowed in concern for the little one. I huffed another sigh and nodded.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. She needs a guardian to help her. She may be in her adult frame, but she is far too young of processor to be by herself."

"What about Blue? They're bonded." I looked at Jazz silently, worry turning to irritation. Scowling I looked back up at Optimus.

"I know that she is bonded Jazz! However, restrictions need to be made to protect her." I saw the way Prowls door wings went rigid, optics flashing a crystalline blue.

"Protect her?" Prowl rumbled the words deathly silently. His optics narrowing in on me, I tensed realizing how that could have been taken. Prowl maybe act sparkless, like a drone at times, but I knew how protective he was of his siblings.

"Prowl, I do not mean to protect her from Blue. I mean to protect her from herself and Cons." Prowl seemed to relax slightly, wings flicking.

"I apologize for my assumption. Aside from that, there is the concern of who shall be her guardian. She is going to need someone stable and responsible." Jazz suddenly sent a leering look to Prowl, a smirk on his lip plates. His visor now glowing a steady azure.

"Why not you Prowler?" His optics darted to Jazz, wings tensing up into a sharp 'V' from surprise. He suddenly looked like a petro deer in the helm lights. I gave a feral grin of amusement.

"You are absolutely correct Jazz. Prowl would be best suited for such a task." My amusement faded into seriousness after a few moments of thinking over this.

"She's terrified of Authority figures, I could see it from her processors. The only reason she's not as intimidated of Jazz is because of his personality."

Jazz frowned and leaned back, kicking his pedes up onto the table while placing his servos behind his helm. I gave him a pointed stare when he did that, he just grinned cheekily back. Prowl huffed and glanced at us, his optics narrowing as if to say silently 'you are all conspiring against me'.

"If the femme is terrified of us, then why choose me?" Optimus leaned forward after Prowl had spoken, his optics intense. The deep sapphire coloration burning into the three of us.

"If this is so, then she must be shown that not all authority figures are going to bring her harm."

"Optimus, if I may, I find it pertinent to get back to med-bay as soon as possible. She should be onlining very soon; however, I would like to suggest that you and Prowl come with me." Jazz suddenly huffed.

"What am ah, chopped livah?" I grimaced at the human expression. Looking at the saboteur I shook my helm tiredly.

"No, but I would prefer the more serious ones to be there. The sense of calm they emit would surely relax her more then your... eccentrics." Jazz pouted but said nothing more, his visor glowing dimly with irritation.

 _Fraggin' mech acts more like a youngling then the femme!_ Standing up I quickly turned the sound-barrier off and took down the security override. I could feel the presence of Optimus and Prowl hovering behind me as I quickly stalked through the base and toward my med-bay.

Humans were beginning to change shifts now, as the ones from last night left and were replenished. It made navigating the halls difficult seeing as I did not wish to crush the organics, but not impossible. I quickly sent a mental command to my med-bay doors, they opened flawlessly.

The metal plates splitting and sinking into the walls, the crimson cross that adorned them splitting in half. Stepping through with the two mechs not to far behind I quickly made my way to the femmling. She was still offline thankfully, but the machine was blipping.

I pressed a button on the top of the machine, the cords and cables connecting to the femme's helm disengaged with a hiss. Walking forward, I gently closed the seal on the back of her cranial unit manually.

Turning away from her, I looked at the beeping machine and hooked up a smaller slender cable with a flat port from my wrist to the main port on the piece of technology. I offlined my optics and began sorting through the millions of terabytes worth of information. A soft humming noise left my vocal cords as I opened one file after another.

 **Scanning initiated...**

 **…..firewalls: nonexistent...**

 **…..memory core:**

 ***Long term: damaged...**

 ***Short term: corrupted...**

 **…..processors: tampered...**

 **…..extent of cognitive damage: extensive...**

 **…..Memory Storage:... 50%**

 **…..Stability of coding protocols: 40% working capacity... 13% working efficiently...**

 **…..Basic Subroutines: …..damaged... damaged...**

 **…..internal software: …...corrupted... tampered... corrupted... 30% undamaged.**

 **…..Internal com links:... damaged...**

 **…..Transformation cog:... 100% working capacity**

 **…...Core processors:... tampered.**

 **…..Detection: unknown programming**

 ***Scanning unknown programming: …. scanning... scanning... programming labeled.**

 **…..Programming: Slave gestalt.**

 **…..Programming state: Active**

I initiated the launch sequence and allowed the machine to copy all of the information onto my medical storage database. Creating a back up file, I saved it in my personal Internal Computer System and sent it to my data-pads.

Unplugging from the machine I onlined my optics and shook my helm. Anger swelling up inside of me, irritation at what was being done to her processor consuming my spark like a chemical fire.

"What is it old friend?" I looked up at Optimus, a tick forming in my jaw strut. I ground my denta together, fists clenching with a creak of metal.

"The only thing not damaged is her Transformation Cog! Everything else has been tampered with, corrupted, and damaged." I was more than a little slagged off.

The fragging Con was destroying her mentally without even touching her! _But_ why _does he want her so_ badly _that he would harm her processors? Why does she have that..._ I froze. Slave Gestalt programming. It wasn't normal gestalt programming like the Arial Bots, Techno-Bots, or Protecto-Bots.

This was the type of programming that Soundwave and Blaster had. Programming built for _cassettes_. I looked up at the two mechs, optics narrowing dangerously.

"I think I know what is it that Soundwave wants. He-" Before I could finish the thought I picked up on systems onlining. Turning away from Optimus and Prowl I gave them a 'later' look.

They nodded as I quickly made my way over the little fem-bot. I paused, hurried over to a cabinet, and grabbed medical mid-grade for her. Walking back over to her I calmly looked down at her, watching her with hidden fury. Soundwave would _not_ get his servos on her, not if I had anything to say about it.

Her optics dimly lit up, systems obviously cycling sluggishly. I reached forward and brushed my digits against a wing panel. Immediately her optics snapped online. She sat up, abdominal plating resting against the berth with her fore-arms holding her up. She looked around in confusion, seeming disoriented.

"Wha...?" Even her vocalizer was struggling to online. I couldn't help the tugging at my spark, my optics softening. _She is so_ young _, how had I not seen it before?_

Sighing heavily through my olfactory vents, I gently touched her shoulder joint. She jumped and looked up at me with wide optics, confusion on her face-plates.

"Easy, you're safe. Drink this; your systems are extremely depleted." She winced, but slowly rolled over to sit on her aft and took the cube with weak digits.

"Thank-you." The words were muttered, weak, and soft. I sighed and looked back at the other two mechs in the room.

 **.:Looks like we're back at square one with her. She's clammed up again.:. ~Ratchet**

 **.:Indeed. We will have to be patient with her.: ~Optimus.**

"Autumn." Said femme looked up at me, uncertainty in her optics. I could see a wavering trust in her optics, she didn't know if she should or shouldn't trust me. I didn't blame her after everything I had seen in her processors.

 _But-_ I reminded myself. _She has been through much and needs us to be stable, something she can cling too._ Offering a small smile to the femme, I turned to the other two mechs.

"You've met Optimus yes?" She looked wary, glancing at the regal mech before glancing at Prowl. The almost cold look he was sporting had her flinching. I sent Prowl an angered look, he huffed and gazed right back at me critically. Rolling my optics at Prowl; I nodded to Optimus, whom then stepped forward.

"Autumn. I understand that we have not communicated much in the past few months." The femme looked somewhere between the verge of crying and glitching. Her optics wide, holding the cube as if it would protect her from the great Prime.

It saddened me to see that expression, she was just one of many victims I had seen in my long medical career. A pang stabbed at my spark, she looked so lost and scared when looking up at Prime.

"I... I... Whatever I did I'm sorry." She squeaked out in obvious fear. Optics suddenly diverted and her frame shivering. Anger pulsated through me, ripping, and tearing at my spark.

If it weren't for my medical programming I would track down her creator and rip him limb from limb. Optimus let out a long low sigh of sorrow, regret shimmering in those sapphire depths.

"Little one, you have done no wrong deed to warrant such fears." She slowly looked back up, wings twitching every which way. Fear shimmering in her optics.

"I-I haven't? But then... why...?" Optimus stepped closer slowly, his optics intensely studying the femme. When she didn't flinch or make any signs of fear, he moved closer still and gently set his large servo on her dainty shoulder.

Her wings flicked as she gazed up at him, optics glimmering with suspicion. I winced inwardly, that memory loop has thrown her back quite a bit. It was going to take awhile to regain her trust; her processors were just too scrambled.

"I am here on your behalf. From what Ratchet has spoken of, your mental states are... questionable." The femme flinched and looked away, shame shimmering in the electric blue depths of her optics.

"For your safety and well being you shall be sharing quarters with Prowl for now." The femme looked up Optimus suddenly, as if he were insane. She looked at the SIC, then back to the Prime.

"But... I... Why?!" I smiled faintly, poor thing looked like she was on the verge of wanting to punch the Prime and try to make a run for it.

"You are far too young to be living by yourself. Much less having intimate relations." She stared at Prowl and then at Prime.

"This is just one big conspiracy! So what, now I'm a prisoner again?" The Prime seemed to recoil from such an assumption from the femme. I winced, even Prowl seemed stunned.

"Since when were you ever a prisoner? When have we ever done anything to make you feel as such?" She slowly looked up at Prowl, her optics flashing with a hidden emotion I couldn't detect.

"Since I became one of your kind! I'm nothing but a means to getting sparklings!"

I froze; my spark pulsating with an odd sensation. "Femme you are not a brood mare."

She looked right at me, optics glowing eerily beneath her white chevron. Her wings flicked back like the audios of a Petro Hound when it felt threatened.

"I am deeply saddened that you have felt as such, but know that we never thought that of you. For your protection Prowl will now be your Guardian, you _will_ stay with him, and that is the _end_ of this argument. Understood."

Optimus' tone held a finality to it, and yet he never raised his voice. It was a constant soothing rumble. The femmeling was glaring at him, her wings still down in that defensive pose.

"Clearly."

The Prime looked up at me and offered a nod. Pivoting he left the med-bay. Prowl however, stayed.

 **Autumn POV**

I didn't remember much after I woke up. I remembered the beach incident, meeting Hound and the others.

I remembered my bonded, training with Jazz... but everything felt so twisted and foggy though. I remember my studies of Cybertron, but my only memories of the two mechs were of when I first onlined.

I couldn't help, but to feel safer with Ratchet. Something told me that the medic would keep me safe. I couldn't believe that the mech that hated me, the older sibling of my mate, was going to be my Guardian. _I would have to_ live _with him?_

I watched the large blue mech with the flame decals, leave the room. The medic gave me a glance of encouragement and then left me with my fellow Praxian. I stared at the mech known as Prowl, and he at me.

"I am not positive as to how much you remember seeing as your memory banks have been damaged, so I shall simply reacquaint myself with you."

I gazed at him with non trusting optics. He had police decals, and the police didn't help anybody. They always sent me back to my tormentor, why would he be any different?

"My designation is Prowl, SIC of the Autobots, and I am the elder sibling of your mate, Bluestreak." I was quiet for a moment, gazing at him contemplating his words and trying to match it up with memories. After a moment a dim memory of the three Datsuns came up. A small tidbit of each clinging to them.

"Smokescreen is the eldest of all three of you..." I murmured more to myself than anyone else. Prowl nodded, watching me with a calculating gaze. I was trying to remember, I honestly was, but everything was so scrambled.

I could barely remember my own mate. Pain echoed deeply in my spark, what kind of mate was I if I couldn't even remember my other half properly? If I couldn't remember his family?

A soft keen left my lip-plates as I curled in on myself. Why couldn't I remember who they were? Who was the purple mech with the red visor that I kept seeing? I shivered and looked up at Prowl.

"I-I'm sorry... I can't... I can't..." Coolant welled up in my optics, pain tearing through me. I was going to be punished; I just knew I would be punished for not being able to answer him.

I was... I suddenly froze. I looked up, blinking the tears out of my blurry vision. A warm servo was rested on my helm gently, the cold blue optics of the SIC were on my own. After a moment his optics seemed to thaw.

"You are in no trouble for not being able to remember. I will help you retrieve your memories, but I ask only one thing." I shivered, optics wide in fear. _What does he want?_

"What's that?" I finally managed after a few moments. He smiled, actually smiled. I wasn't sure what to do, I was confused.

"Trust me." Trust him? That wasn't something easily asked. That was a lot to ask actually. How did I know he wouldn't break my trust?

"I do not require you to openly trust me now, but in the future you will hopefully." I felt some of my fear lesson, my spark slowing down as the tension in frame uncoiled just a little bit. He seemed honest.

"O-okay..." He retracted his servo from my helm; instead he held it in front of me rather than on me. I looked at his servo then up at his calm expression. Swallowing heavily I slowly took his servo. He gently pulled me up and grabbed my cube of mid-grade, placing it in my servos.

"Refuel, we will head to my quarters to get you settled in after." I nodded and quickly swallowed the mid-grade down. Not because I was excited, but because the stuff tasted nasty. Prowl took the empty cube and placed it in the recycling center for me.

He motioned for me to follow him, I silently trotted behind him out of the med-bay. I was trying to be obedient seeing as I really didn't want to be punished. If he was my guardian then that meant he had full rights to punishing me, and I knew how painful that could be.

We walked down a hallway, away from the humans and into the deeper regions of the west side of the base. This side seemed built for our kind, and only our kind. We had a rec room, communal showers, offices and lastly the quarters.

Prowl silently walked past the first hall of quarters, the second, and even the third. He made a right down the steel gray hallway, walking down it and past a few doors until he came to the last one on the right.

"The code is four-six-six-five-zero-nine (46-65-09) if you ever need to get in and I am not here." I nodded slowly, watching him type in the pass code and then place his servo on the flat scanning surface. An automatic voice welcoming us in sounded off as the door opened.

I slowly slunk in after my Guardian, looking around nervously. It was a wide spacious area with a living room of sorts. There was a 'kitchen' that connected to it, filled with energon and different minerals to add to it.

A large concrete 'couch' with softer carbon fiber cushions. There was even a smaller metallic table in front of it, with a glossy surface.

I slowly moved forward, unaware that Prowl had leaned back against the wall to study me. I slunk across the room, jumping at any little noise that was heard. Poking my helm around a door way I moved in to see a 'master bedroom'. It had a personal wash-rack connected to it.

Moving out I found a smaller, but still equally spacious, 'guest room' with its own personal wash-rack. Backing out of there I slunk back into the living room to see Prowl leaning against the wall and writing on a data-pad.


	22. Chapter 22

**Prowl POV**

The femme, even after losing more than half of her memories, was still very scared of me, and I found that to be very disturbing, because it meant that her fear of authority figures was now almost instinctual in organics, or basic programming for a Cybertronian. I slowly stepped forward seeing that she seemed to be ready to glitch. I knew all too well how painful that was, especially seeing as certain mechs, the terror twins, liked to make me glitch.

She was stuttering, unable to get the words out of her vocal processor. Cleaning fluid was building up in her optics. Sighing softly, I remembered that it helped Redalert when Inferno offered comforting touches when he was about to glitch.

So stepping forward I gently placed my servo on her helm. I wasn't sure what else to do, but it did seem to help. She was still now, the sounds of highly stressed systems slightly dieing down. Applying a bit more pressure from my servo, sort of like a safety blanket, I waited until she calmed just a bit more before speaking.

Her optics were wide when they slowly onlined and looked up at me, with a look that pulled at my spark almost painfully. I hadn't seen that expression since Bluestreak watched the fall of Praxus. He was but a sparkling and left alone with our creators, while Smokescreen and I were serving with the Autobots.

"You are in no trouble for not being able to remember. I will help you retrieve your memories, but I ask only one thing." I watched her shiver, seeing the fear in her blue optics.

"What's that?" She finally managed to get the words out. I offered her a soothing smile, Smokescreen always said they were disarming to the little ones.

"Trust me." I murmured gently. I understood that it was a lot to ask of her, but I did not require her full trust right now. I knew how hard it was to trust another, especially after what I had seen and been through. After all, I was the one who sent my two siblings on the mission that almost got them offlined.

"I do not require you to openly trust me now, but in the future you will hopefully." I spoke the words with unfaltering honestly. I kept the smile small, but still gracing my lip components, and after a moment I was rewarded. She slowly relaxed under my servo, her optics holding a little less fear.

"O-okay..."

I slowly pulled my servo away from her helm, a flash of disappointment flaring in my spark. I frowned at that, but tried not to show it. Offering my servo I waited until she took it so that I could help her up.

Once she did take my servo, I gently pulled her to her pedes. Leaning around her tiny frame I grabbed her medical mid-grade energon.

"Refuel, we will head to my quarters to get you settled in after." I watched with faint amusement as she quickly chugged it down. I knew all too well how badly it tasted, I was in the med-bay often enough to know that. Once she was finished, I took the empty cube and placed it in the recycling center for her.

Turning I motioned for her to follow me, the sounds of her pedes moving after me was surprisingly soothing. _She is quiet... too quiet..._.

I frowned, optics narrowing as I tried to figure out why. _Had I done something to offend her?_ I thought back and didn't see anything to suggest that. _Perhaps she is fearful I will punish her..._ I cringed inwardly.

 _The poor thing honestly thought I would hit her, didn't she?_ The only time I had ever even hit Bluestreak, was a quick smack to the aft when I caught him trying to steal something as a youngling, and that only once.

I sighed softly and led her down the hallways, keeping silent as we moved past the humans area and into Cybertronian 'territory'. I was quiet still as we walked through the first three hallways and into the fourth that held the officers quarters.

I walked down the hallway, the femmeling following behind silently. I pivoted to stand directly in front of the last door on the right, my personal quarters. Lifting up my servo I pressed a few buttons and placed it on the pad for recognition.

"The code is four-six-six-five-zero-nine (46-65-09) if you ever need to get in and I am not here." She nodded quietly, looking away. I frowned and breathed air out through my olfactory vents. The automated voice of our security system S.A.R.A. (Secure Automated Response Authority.)

It was our first Earth security system designed by Wheeljack, and until Redalert showed up- if he ever did- it would be what we would stick with. I was severely hoping that Redalert would show up soon, we needed our security chief; he was the best at what he did even if he was a bit... _paranoid_.

I waited for the femme, _Autumn_ I reminded myself, to walk into the room first. I followed after her calmly, watching her slink in nervously. A part of me found the sight of her jumping at noises and cautiously investigating everything, to be quite... adorable.

She reminded me of the pet cyber kitten that Jazz brought home one time. _Funny, the cyber cat was a femme as well; and if I remember correctly the cyber cat had the same skittish personality as Autumn does._

I leaned back against the wall, carefully arranging my door wings so that I wouldn't harm them. Crossing my arms I studied her movements, and responses. I watched her slowly investigate my berth room and then slink off to investigate the guest room, which would now be hers.

Sighing, I pulled a data-pad from my chassis and looked over the list of things that Ratchet had given me. Things he had found wrong with her processor so that I would know what to look for.

It was a long list, much to my dismay. _The poor thing has had a very rough past indeed._ I found it disturbing that her sire treated her in such a manner. Back on Cybertron younglings and sparklings were pampered and treated with respect, given love.

Yes they were disciplined still, but they knew they were cared about. It was something that this little one had never experienced. My servo clenched on the pad, the sound of pede steps entering the room had me looking up.

The femme seemed to be studying me, observing. I calmly held still, allowing her to do her thing much like Jazz had done with his cyber cat. After a few moments she slowly slunk over, optics glancing down at the floor instead of at me. I frowned, narrowing my own optics.

"I'm sorry that they're making me bunk with you... I'll try not to be a problem..." I froze; my optics wide. My battle computer thrumming to life to sift through her words and the sudden emotions. Only after my battle computer had sifted all of the 'illogical' emotions out and I was left calm and collected did I speak.

"Femme, you are no trouble." I winced inwardly. I had never thought much of it, but at the moment she didn't need someone who sounded and acted like a drone, she needed someone who was more warm and open. I huffed softly, the little femme looking up at me briefly and then away.

 _How did my talkative brother gain her trust and affections? Was it by being open?_ I frowned trying to process the best way to go about this, my tactical computers coming online and sorting through the information I had learned as well.

All of the ideas that came up had very little percentile rates of working. I huffed irritably; she immediately looked up with a startled expression. She stared up at me, and I down at her. For the longest time we just stood there like that, after a bit her optics dimmed. My wings twitched slightly, feeling the tell tail signs of energy depletion.

"Why don't you get some rest?" She looked up at me quietly before nodding and slinking off to her new berth room. As soon as she was gone I let out a quiet groan and walked over to the couch.

Sitting down gracefully I flicked my wings, letting them relax now that there was no one to read them. I looked back down at the data pad, reading Ratchet's report. I had read the brief profile on her, but an extensive medical report had not been available until now.

 **Designation:** _ **Autumn**_

 **Age:** _ **Youngling**_

 **Examination:**

 _ **A thorough examination of her mental health has been conducted by me. From what I have I have seen, both from linking up to her systems and from my Processor Synthesizer are the following things:**_

 _ **Firewalls were found to be nonexistent**_

 ** _The memory core:_**

 ** _*Long term core: severely damaged_**

 ** _*Short term core: corrupted._**

 ** _*I do not know how much of her memory has been deleted, tampered, and destroyed._**

 ** _Processors have been tampered with._**

 ** _Extent of cog. Damage was found to be extensive_**

 ** _Memory Storage is at 50% I am not sure as of yet, as to what has happened to the other half._**

 ** _Stability of coding protocols is functioning at 40% working capacity. 13% of that is working efficiently._**

 ** _Basic Subroutines are damaged, but not unfixable._**

 ** _Internal software is all corrupted and tampered. Only 30% remains undamaged._**

 ** _Internal com links have been damaged; those will have to be fixed immediately._**

 ** _Transformation cog is at 100% working capacity._**

 ** _Core processors have been severely tampered._**

 ** _Detection of an unknown programming was found._**

 ** _*I investigated this unknown programming and found it to be a Slave Gestalt programming. The same thing as Soundwave has, similar to Blaster's as well. However, Blaster's gestalt programming is a creator gestalt instead of slave gestalt._**

I sighed heavily and reread the report. Leaning forward I placed the data pad down on the table and rested my rotary mid arm joints (elbows) on my thigh plating. For once in my life, I was actually contemplating on the one thing mechs usually did: 'what would Jazz do?'

I shook my helm with a snort, thinking about it. I honestly didn't know. Jazz was the best when it came to the femmes and little ones. His upbeat personality mixed with his 'trusting' aura made him a magnet for those two groups. Even most mechs liked him, there were very few who didn't.

 **.:Prowl to Jazz.:.**

 **.:Jazz here. What ya need Prowler?:.** I scowled, but decided to let this one pass. I don't know why I bothered telling him to not do that, once Jazz gave you a nickname you couldn't shake it. In short? You were fragged.

 **.:I... need your help.:.** It was quiet for half a breem, when Jazz spoke again his voice was serious.

 **.:Ya don' usually ask for help. What ya need, just name it'.:.**

 **.:-sigh- I admit, it is about the femme. I am not quite sure as of what I should do.:.**

 **.:Is she rechargin?:.**

 **.:I believe so.:.**

 **.:Give me a nanoclick. Ah'll be right dere. Jazz out.:.**

I sat in silence, wondering if I did the right thing by asking for Jazz's help. I then mentally admonished myself. _Jazz is my best friend. If there was_ any _bot I trusted with my whole spark it would be him._

After a moment I felt a 'ping' within my internal sensors. Someone was at the door. Standing, I silently walked to the doorway, but I paused. Pulling my acid pellet gun out by instinct. Opening the door I cautiously peered out to see Jazz.

"'Relax Prowler. Ah ain't no Con. Ya can put da weapon away." I huffed and put it back in subspace.

"One can never be too cautious, especially when they have a young spark to guard." Jazz nodded and offered me a lopsided grin when I moved out of the way to allow him in.

"True that." I smiled faintly. Jazz only ever lost his accent in the presence of those he trusted. It always sent a pang of honor through me when I heard him drop that accent, a deeper sense of humbleness always pulsated through me when he took off his visor.

After all, you didn't just expose yourself to someone you _didn't_ trust. I moved to press the security key that would lock my quarters and secure it so that no one could get in _or_ hear what happened within. I nodded to the couch, silently telling Jazz to make himself at home.

Jazz grinned and sauntered over, his deep blue optics shining in the low lighting of my quarters. His optics, unlike his ever changing mysterious visor coloration, were a deep azure. He leaned back on one side of the couch, pedes placed on the table top.

"So what's going on Prowler?" I sighed through my olfactory vents, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. I sat down beside him and pushed the data-pad towards him.

"See for yourself." I could see his curious expression, optics intense as he leaned forward to retrieve the pad. Clawed digits holding the data-pad gently, as if afraid it would break into a thousand pieces. I could see his grim expression, concern marring his usually friendly features.

"So what does exactly she remember?" I glanced over again to see him looking at me. Anger at the Cons quite clear on his face, his engine growling softly in his chassis. I frowned and looked down thoughtfully, my wings flicking.

"From what I was able to see she doesn't seem to remember too much of what has happened. I know she remembers you, she remembers my siblings and I only barely, but most everything else has been wiped from her processors."

A soft sigh reverberated from my long time friend, His optics were dark, a heavy aura radiating off of him.

"So she only remembers those who had a significant impact on her." I nodded silently, optics intense. Jazz shifted, placing his pedes back on the floor and folding his arms over his chassis.

"I would say just be patient. Things like this... they don't heal over a lunar cycle. Sometimes they don't heal at all. If that's the case then you'll just have to be supportive. You know that I'm always here for you as well, I always have been."

I smiled faintly, Jazz is a good mech. One of a kind. I nodded in understanding, flicking my wings yet again.

"That's what I figured, but I thought that perhaps you would be able to approach her better than I. Pit knows my battle computer and strategy processors couldn't think of anything that had an acceptable percentage rate of working."

"Prowler, Prowler, Prowler. The femmeling ain't some statistic you can calculate in a machine. She is a living, sentient, being. She could react in multiple ways; many different outcomes could come forth. Don't be all logical about this."

Here my millennium old friend leaned forward. Optics glowing brightly; clawed servo raising up to press a sharp digit gently against my chassis.

"Follow ya spark. I'll help if I can of course, but this is something you've got to figure out for yourself." I was silently, thinking over his words. _Don't be logical? But how could I not be logical? It was all I had ever known._

I shook my helm feeling that familiar itching feeling of my processors overloading. Jazz placed his servo on my shoulder in concern as I closed my optics tightly, trying desperately not to glitch.

"1,072,432 divided by the square root of 74." My battle processors automatically responded to the numbers, cycling through it easily. The pressure lessened leaving me feeling exhausted but much calmer. I finally unshuttered my optics and looked at my friend.

"Thank-you." I shook my helm, the rest of the fog lifting. Jazz grinned and nodded before suddenly stilling. He tilted his helm toward the rooms. I looked at him curiously as he stood up and on stealthy pedes moved to the guest room. I followed behind him, creeping silently.

Autumn was curled up in a ball, her wings twitching and flicking. Faint keens leaving her as she curled into a tighter ball. _Night terrors..._ Sorrow welled up in my spark. A youngling, no less a femme, shouldn't be suffering at the servos of creators and Cons.

Even if it was only in her recharge, but her fears had something to be based off of. And that made me all the more angry. Jazz slunk in, quietly. I almost stopped him. _Almost_. However, I was curious as to what he was going to do.

He crept closer to the berth and slowly sat down beside my charge, his clawed digits stroking across her trembling wings. I picked up on an ancient Cybertronian lullaby drifting through the air. Within moments her tiny frame relaxed; the keens and trembles shifting into contented purring and relaxation.

Jazz slowly stood and crept back out, glancing up at me he grinned. I merely smiled and shook my helm. How Jazz got so good at such random things, I would never know. He just always seemed to know what to do in every situation. Of course, spec bots had to be flexible.

"How did you do that?" I asked curiously. Jazz looked back at me and grinned. Denta flashing in the light, soft laughter rumbling through my quarters.

"If I told you then I would have to offline you." I rolled my optics and smirked at his words, they were always his excuse.

"What ever you say Jazz." He grinned and stretched out his frame. Soft hisses and pops echoing from his joints.

"Get some recharge Jazz, I shall contact you tomorrow." Jazz nodded and let his visor slip back in place.

"Sure! Ah'll see ya next solar cycle Prowler." I nodded and walked him to the door. Watching him as he stealthily sauntered down the hallway, a 'swagger' like gate in his steps. I rolled my optics. His age old saying made me chuckle as I closed the door. _'Do it with style, or don't bother doing it at all'_.

Checking on the femme I made sure she was in recharge before heading to my room. It was right beside hers, so I would hear if she had another night terror or needed me. Still, I couldn't help but to worry about her.

The image of Jazz crouched beside her berth, crooning to her and stroking her wings entered my processor. _He would make a good creator... and why the frag am I thinking about that?_ Rolling my optics sky wards I lay down on my berth, resting onto my abdomen and holding my wings in the air. Tomorrow I would figure out what to do. Tomorrow I would think over everything. Tonight I would recharge and know that the femme that had captured my sibling's spark was safe. _Tomorrow..._


	23. Chapter 23

When I woke up in the morning, I came around only to find myself alone. The quarters were empty from what my wings were telling me. Rolling over and sitting up I slowly swung my legs over the side of the bed.

With my wings twitching again, I suddenly picked up on the reverberations of the main door sliding open. I stood up slowly and walked to my doorway; peeking around the corner I saw the familiar black-and-white armor.

I quietly watched Prowl as he walked into the 'kitchen'. I heard him mess with something for a few moments. A gushing noise was heard, but that's not what got my attention, it was the warm scent of something spicy yet sweet.

The energon always held a tint of sweetness like blueberries or strawberries, maybe ripe grapes? The spicy scent however, I had no idea what that was. It was definitely alluring. I could feel my tanks clench and gurgle.

Ever since I had moved in with Prowl, I hadn't been taking in very much energon; but now I was paying the price. Prowl suddenly walked past the doorway calmly, heading into the 'living' room. He held two large cubes of energon in his servos, and there was another gurgle from my tanks and I was tempted to come out.

"I know you're online, so why don't you come get some energon?" He said calmly.

I jumped and ducked my helm. Frag... is he psychic? I could feel my spark thumping harshly and the feeling of two presences entered my mind.

One was questioning and the other worried. Tentatively I sent feelings of ease through the links and within moments both receded into a dull humming. I wasn't really sure what I should do. I knew I needed the energon, and what he had smelled _wonderful_ , but this was _Prowl_! He was… always so cold, like he was heartless or something.

I'm not sure what it is about him, but it scared me. It almost made me wish to be back with my father… _almost_! The thing is, Prowl had never hit me, at least as far as I can remember, but lately my memories haven't been all there somehow. It's weird, and _really_ scary, because I _know_ that I've met some of the mechs I've seen, but I can't remember them… I can't even remember their names.

When my tanks clenched again, it was with a rumble this time… one that actually _hurt_. Like it or not, I needed that energon. Shivering, I slowly stepped from my doorway and inched out to the small hall to the rooms adjacent from it. The door was a straight shot, energon area to the left and the sitting area to the right.

Looking over to the black-and-white tactician I stood still watching, observing, him. His armor, as always, was pristine. Not in a vain way, but in a formal 'I have to look decent for work' type look. His wings were raised high up, framing his helm tensely.

I glanced at the energon on the small table, a cube sat in front of the mech as he scrolled through a data-pad. The other sat beside him facing the other side of the 'couch'. I trembled and slowly walked over to sit timidly beside him. Reaching out to the cube, I kept glancing at him warily. I couldn't help it, old habits die hard.

"As much as some of the mechs might state otherwise, I do not bite. There is no need for you to be so cautious… or afraid of me."

I flinched. _Am I that noticeable?_ I held the cube to my chassis as if afraid he might take it. Which in a way I was, _my father had been like that. Why wouldn't Prowl?_ I sipped on the liquid and jolted. It was spicy, very spicy. Not in a way that made your mouth taste bitter and feel numb, it was a pleasant spicy like cinnamon or something.

"Oh..." I stared at the cube in surprise, and with one servo I pressed my slender digits to my lip-plates. I picked up on a faintly amused noise. Looking up at the large mech I found his suddenly gentle optics locked on my own. _What...? I've seen that look before... the gentleness..._ A flash of blond hair, a woman who held me close. A woman who took the brutal treatment to spare me. The look of a loving parent. I quickly glanced down, staring at the cube.

"It's only Zinc, so there is nothing for you to be concerned about." I frowned and tilted my helm, curiosity slowly easing some of my fears away. Not all, but some.

"Why?" I saw the way his lip-plates twitched in a faint smile as he took a sip of his own energon.

"Zinc is good for younglings and sparklings. The mineral helps their systems replenish faster." A frown pulled at my lip-plates, more of the fear slipping away. It was like he was somehow washing away some of my terror, I wasn't sure how though.

"I'm not a sparkling... nor am I a youngling..." The words were mumbled so as he wouldn't hear them, but apparently he still did.

"Yes you are. Mentally and emotionally you are still somewhat unstable because your programming hasn't fully adjusted yet, and physically, you are still growing." His voice was smooth, calm, and unemotional. I pulled in on myself again, fear etching back in my spark. I hated seeing him emotionless, it brought back memories I didn't want… memories I couldn't stand.

I focused my attention on my energon, taking a sip of it and swishing it around my glossa. It sent powerful zips of energy through my mouth, tingly and refreshing. After swallowing, I looked back at Prowl and decided to divulge my immature side, even though logically I knew it'd only give him more ammo to use later.

"Nu-uh." He blinked and looked up at me, raising an optic ridge. His optics shifted away from me and back onto the data-pad he had been working on.

"You are still a minority." I frowned and huffed. _Why won't he play along?_ Suddenly I winced internally and wanted to face palm. I sounded just like a kid wondering why their parent _-creator-_ wouldn't come play with them.

"Nu-uh..." I mumbled again, testing the waters per say. After a moment of silence and him focused entirely back on his data-pad, I picked up my cube and slunk back to my room. Sipping at my cube I sat down on my berth, wings flexing and shifting.

 _How come I couldn't get a guardian like Jazz or Hound... Instead I was stuck with the emotionless prick._ I huffed a sigh and stared down at the pink liquid, gently I swirled it around in the clear container. I found myself growing bored of that however, and began to wonder what I could do around here that wouldn't get me in trouble.

Tentatively I picked at the bonds in my chassis, curious as to the stronger of the two. I remember kind optics, love. A _lot_ of talking from the mech, wings like mine only bigger. I remembered... I flushed remembering the first interface and bonding session.

Jolting from my thoughts I felt a gentle prodding of minute curiosity, the link led back to the room that I had just come from. I grimaced at his version of curiosity. _Has anyone ever told him that he looms like a vulture waiting to pick the smallest detail from your body?_

Seriously, that was what his small ebb of curiosity felt like. Like he was looming and waiting, going to nab me for the simplest thing. I shivered and curled further into my berth, hiding into the corner of the wall that it rested up against.

I chugged down the rest of the energon resulting in a burning sensation in my tanks. However, I couldn't really care less at the moment… for I had picked up voices. _When did he come in?_

I recognized the voice from somewhere, I just couldn't remember where. I was sure that if I saw him then maybe it would trigger some memory, whether for good or bad I had to know. After a moment I heard Prowl answer something back in a snippy tone, I couldn't really make it out though.

Biting my bottom lip I quietly stepped off the berth and slid into the hall. Shifting into a crouch I balanced myself precariously and set the digits of my right servo to act as my equilibrium check. Curling the digits of my right servo around the wall I slowly peeked around the corner and froze.

"You are supposed to inform us when a new bot arrives! Why haven't you been at your office? Why have you been shirking off here with the newbie?!" It was the human mech… Galloway, that was his name. I quickly ducked my helm from view and focused on trying to get my vents under control.

 _He's just a human, he can't hurt you anymore!_ Not physically. _Shut-up! He c-can't hurt me! I won't-_ You won't let him? Since when were you ever powerful enough to help yourself at the hand of a man, at the hands of authority? Oh right, never.

I could feel coolant welling up in my optics as I tried to focus on not letting my engine stutter and hiccup. It would surely give me away.

"I have not been to my office for multiple reasons Mr. Galloway. One of which is that the femme is not yet stable enough to be by herself. Secondly-"

"I don't give a rats flying ass! You are supposed to be in your office, not here babysitting! If a bot is that much of a problem, then get. Rid. Of. It." It had grown deathly silent. Not a single word uttered, not a breath taken.

"Are you suggesting that I abandon a mentally unstable femme while there are Decepticons out there?"

"Yes. We can not afford to have unnecessary burdens." _Burden... that's all I am?_ Pain lashed through my spark, enveloping me.

"Perhaps I should speak with your supervisors in the human upper command. After all, we can not have a human who has an unbiased, and obviously prejudicial hatred and disrespect for aliens as our liaison… now can we?" There was a sputtering noise as the human seemed to flounder for words.

"Are you threatening me?" He finally managed to shriek. I winced and clapped my servos over my audio receptors. Peaking around the corner I froze seeing Prowl actually glaring at the human.

"No, Galloway, it is no threat. What I have stated is an incontroversial fact. Nothing more and nothing less. If you would be so kind as to remove yourself from the room until you are in a stable frame of mind, then we may discuss things." He said it all in a no nonsense tone.

The man sputtered and stalked from the room, the sliding door of the quarters opening and closing. _Did Prowl just... protect me? But... he's got more important things to worry about... why would he try to save me when so many others did not?_

I shivered and slowly backed away. walking to my berth I stretched out on my abdomen and shuttered my optics. _Why would he do that?_ Authority figures never helped. Guardians, police, medics... they never helped. They just sent you back to where you came from so it could happen all over again. _So why would he do that... why me?_

I shuttered my optics and tried to focus on what was going on, but my processors didn't want to seem to work. They kept moving sluggishly and fading out of focus, until finally they forced my online protocols to shut down and activated my recharge ones. _Perhaps it will all make sense later... after a nap of course..._

 **Prowl's POV**

I was working on the data-pad again when the femme finally got up and left. I glanced over and sure enough she took her cube. _Good. She needs to refuel; I was beginning to think I would need to contact Ratchet._

Sighing, I looked over the statistics yet again and entered them into my battle computer. I was trying to calculate the statistics of yet another battle plan when I heard the knocking at the main doorway. I scowled and sent a mental code to the door, a moment later it slid open.

The human designated Galloway stormed in looking rather torqued. Of course he always looked like that so it was of no concern to me.

"Prowl! We have serious issues going on right now." I mentally sighed and pulled upon my long ago created patience. Primus knows I would need it.

"Of what consequence does 'serious issues' allow you to harass me in my quarters?" The human suddenly turned an odd shade of purple-red. Plum I believe it was called.

I momentarily contemplated putting Ratchet on stand by, but thought better of it. The human male came closer to where I sat; placing the data-pad on the small table I turned my attention to the smaller being. His vitals were going everywhere according to my wings, a suggestion of ire.

"You are supposed to inform us when a new bot arrives! Why haven't you been at your office? Why have you been shirking off here with the newbie?!" The man seemed to explode with anger; I was momentarily silent before narrowing my optics. I never 'shirked off' on my duties, it was my job to make sure the other mechs survived a battle. My occupation centered around that, energon stock, keeping every other bot in line and much, _much_ more.

"I have not been to my office for multiple reasons Mr. Galloway. One of which is that the femme is not yet stable enough to be by herself. Secondly-" I spoke in my calmest voice; cool logic was obviously my only way of reasoning with his man. However, the mech cut me off much to my agitation.

"I don't give a rats flying ass! You are supposed to be in your office, not here babysitting! If a bot is that much of a problem, then get. Rid. Of. It." I was deathly silent after his outburst. On Cybertron, such words would have transmitted the man to public humiliation and punishment.

Our kind did not treat the young and femmes in such a way. They were fragile and needed protection, yet this _human_ suggested I _abandon_ the very life I was gifted with to protect? I tried to control the low rumbling growl that was building up in my chassis, optics flashing with anger.

 _This femme needs stability, someone who will not harm her. Whether it be insults or physical, yet this human suggests that I do the opposite of what she needs?_ Optics flashing even brighter I stood up to tower over the human. Suddenly the human male seemed slightly nervous at having a 20 ft tall _sentient metal being_ towering over him.

"Are you suggesting that I abandon a mentally unstable femme while there are Decepticons out there?" My tense door wings quivered slightly with my barely controlled rage. Within moments my battle computer came online and began filtering through the emotion; taking it away before it could build and make me glitch.

"Yes. We can not afford to have unnecessary burdens." His next words sent an ebb of agony through my spark. I reeled internally trying to figure it out when my wings pinged. The femme was hiding, listening in on the conversation. I chose my next words carefully for her sake, and so that the human male would understand how serious I am.

"Perhaps I should speak with your supervisors in the human upper command. After all, we can not have a human who has an unbiased, and obviously prejudicial hatred and disrespect for aliens as our liaison… now can we?" The man seemed to grow pale, the purple pigmentation fading to stark white. He sputtered for a few moments rather unintelligent.

"Are you threatening me?" The human male managed to shriek out. I calmly stared down at him, cold logic running my circuits.

"No, Galloway, it is no threat. What I have stated is an incontroversial fact. Nothing more and nothing less. If you would be so kind as to remove yourself from the room until you are in a stable frame of mind, then we may discuss things."

The human male sputtered again, horror on his face. Then he turned and quickly walked from the room. I waited until the door had slid closed and I could no longer feel him before letting my wings relax slightly.

I glanced back into the hallway, the femmeling was no longer hidden in there. _She must have retreated to her quarters._ Sighing I walked down the hall and looked briefly, she was flexed out on her abdomen. Her helm buried in her arms, wings sagging in a depressed state even while she was in recharge. A pulse of worry shot through my spark, then my battle computer swept it away.

 _She is still scared of me... illogical...hmmm..._ I commenced to input other information I had been gaining subtly about her. I would figure out how to gain her trust, I was confident in that. Resting my hip plate on the back of the 'couch' I sipped on the rest of my energon.

I glanced down at the still awaiting data-pads. They could wait a little longer; I needed to find a scenario that would work.

 **Autumn POV**

 _-tentacles trapping, stinging, lashing, connecting. Pain, fear...-_ I was twisting in my recharge with a soft mumbled keen.

 _-Suggestion: Submit. Statement: Mine.-_ I couldn't get out of the nightmare, it was there in my processors. I could feel my processors being ripped open violently; the presence was tearing into my mind. It was about as gentle as trying to hug a cactus... err a Decepticon trying to hug Ironhide would be a more appropriate description now.

" _Worthless bitch!" Belt snapping down across my flesh. A wale of agony. Voices in my head, tentacles ripping and tearing..._

I gave a sharp keen, servos coming up to clamp down on my audios. _Why wouldn't the voices go away? Why was the presence trying to hurt me?_ I gave a sharp sob and curled in on myself. Everything was so distorted, memories flowing to and fro in a giant collage.

Suddenly I felt warm servos slip around me. I immediately thrashed trying to get away, but the grip tightened. It wasn't painful, but it was firm and gentle. I could feel the other body slide around me, or was I sitting on it? Everything distorted. Creeping, swaying.

- _tentacles lashing, stinging, trapping. Pain, fear, agony..._ \- I could feel warmth in my chassis suddenly, three different distinct traces. One I knew from hours of intimacy, _Blue..._ Another, stronger, my guardian. _Prowl?_

The last one I wasn't sure, it wasn't as distinct as the other two. However, it was still there. The only thing I could think of was the eldest, he was connected to the other two through their own bond. _Smokescreen._

 _Why are they all in my head?_ I could feel them; they were like giant rocks in the thrashing ocean storm. Soothing presses, careful hands holding me up. A wall coming up to block the intrusion. I could feel the warm frame beneath me shift, anger, and revulsion entering my mind. Horror came next along with the onslaught of my memories.

 _-Worthless.-_

 _ **.:Don't listen… not true.:.**_ One of the voices crooned in my audio, a gentle brush knocking the memory out of sight.

 _-Stupid.-_

_**.:He's wrong... so wrong.:.**_ Another of the voices said, anger and sorrow mixed into the tone.

 _-Mistake.-_

 _ **.:Never a mistake, never. Don't listen...:.**_ I wanted to cry and curl into a ball, but I couldn't move. The waves were crashing over my head, memories long forgotten and new bombarding my mind. My thoughts were acidic, detrimental to myself and the mechs in my helm.

" _You little bitch! Don't you ever fucking scream again!" A knife zipping down, cutting across my throat... couldn't breath. Blood everywhere, sirens... police... back in the evil man's presence. They gave me back..._

 _ **.:Primus... no wonder...:.**_

Another keen left my throat at the next memory segment that broke loose. Pieces flying outward for inspection, tormenting me.

" _I see you're home. Finally come back from your romp you little slut." Disgust and anger rushed through me. How dare he! He took a step closer and my blade suddenly whipped out. I held it in front of me shakily and silently dared him to take a step closer. He glanced from the knife to me and suddenly started laughing._

" _You think that fazes me? I've killed people, and you're no different from others in my book." Suddenly he dropped the chains and pulled out a huge gutting knife. My own small knife clattered to the ground as fear swept through me. He... he wouldn't... would he? As if reading my expression his cold laughter echoed around me._

" _I will do it. You're pathetic! Just like your slut of a mother." Angry tears blurred my vision as I stared up at the man I was forced to call father. Turning I quickly opened my door and slipped in, my father tried to follow, his knife flinging at me wildly. I shoved my meager body weight against the door, trying to close it. After a moment, his arm slipped away and the door slid shut. Locking it I raced for the window and tried to open it. I pulled and yanked on it as the sound of splintering would echoed behind me. A silent sob made its way up my throat as I yanked on the window, my fathers form burst through the shredded door way, his knife sinking deep into my side. Blood spurted from my mouth and onto the window as I collapsed. The blade sunk into my ribcage, no doubt puncturing a lung, if the drowning feeling and gurgling was any indication. Sinking to the floor, I felt chains being clamped tightly onto my hands behind my back, and clamping my ankles together. Shackles. I thought distantly._

 _Closing my eyes tightly I waited for the finishing blow, but it never came. Instead, I was dragged through the house, painfully down the stairs, and out the back door. The grass ripped and tore at my cloths and skin. Turning he picked up a rock and before I could move slammed it into the base of my scull. My body went limp and everything faded to black._

I could feel horror come through, one distinctly belonging to my mate. I reached for him silently, praying he wouldn't turn his back on me. I could feel a brush against my paneling, the smooth crooning of an engine as I was held close. The bond, all of them, reached back to me. Silently pulling me to the surface.

" _Although I suggest you take it easy for awhile. Your guardian shall be here within the hour." With that he turned away and walked from the room, the others fallowing him. My blood turned to ice in my veins, my heart clenched tightly and felt as if it stopped. I couldn't think, nor could I breathe._ _They found him... they contacted him... oh God... I'm gonna die._

More pain echoed through the bond. Realization that they had failed me, pain sweeping into me along with a mental crushing hug.

" _You think you could get away? You think you can run from me?" I shook my head negatively; dread coiling in the pits of my stomach. Suddenly leather slashed across my already raw back. I arched in agony, my mouth open in a silent scream, blood trailing down my spine lazily as every slash pulsed with the beat of my heart._

" _Answer me!" He roared. But I couldn't and he knew that._

" _You're a whore just like your mother! I'll show you!" Cold dread spilled into me again, as I heard the whip collapse against the ground. A belt buckle clinking, my panties were ripped away before something pressed near my entrance. I squirmed in terror trying to get away. This man had stolen everything from me._ Not my innocence! No! _Pain shot through me as he sheathed himself inside me, a silent cry let my lips as agonizing pain swept through me._

Horror and anger as the memory rolled through were the only reactions I got. I could feel the tentacles start to relinquish their grip, before a flood of memories came rushing at me. Suddenly, the bonds started tightening as walls came up to protect me mentally. After a moment the memories subsided, and the bonds were slowly slipping from my consciousness.

I flickered my optics online and looked around disoriented. Warm servos were holding me gently, rocking me gently as if I were a sparkling. I saw the black-and-white paint, but not much more. I snuggled closer, my engine hiccupping as I curled into my Guardian.

I could hear his spark, thrumming back to me. Gentle pulses that I somehow wanted to listen to forever. A warm servo smoothed over my helm, the other holding me up carefully. I darkened my optics, and for once I felt only peace in my mind.

No torrent of agony, it was relaxing. I picked up on the sound of humming, a lullaby by the sound of it. The voice was deep, but not gravely or scary like. It was soothing, a deep croon. My optic shutters felt heavy, my systems slowly shutting down. Blissful recharge swept through and took me away, like the swift brush of paint across a canvas.


	24. Chapter 24

**Prowl POV**

I sat there on the med bay berth, simply watching the fragile frame of the femmeling under my care. Her armor glimmered softly, a green color with white accents. Her wings were drooped in exhaustion.

 _How long has it been since she has recharged properly?_ Guilt entered my spark, just another reminder of how much I had to work on as a Guardian. Sighing I glanced up at Ratchet's open office door, grimacing I stood up carefully.

My equilibrium still trying to adjust back to Earth's gravity instead of Cybertron's, it always reset after a glitch. Which quite frankly, was too often for me to really care. Walking to the door I stood silently and waited patiently for Ratchet to acknowledge me.

After all, if I hated to be interrupted when doing a report I knew for a fact others must feel the same. Common courtesy really. After a few Earthen minutes, no more than a breem, Ratchet looked up.

"What?" He stated blandly, irritation in his optics. I resisted the urge to roll my optics as I looked him directly in his own blue ones.

"I have decided that you looking through her processors is really the best course of action." A somewhat subdued smug, yet sad, smile crossed his lip plates.

"Understood, we can start immediately while she is still out." I nodded at his words, a sense of dread pooling in my spark.

 _What would be the damage? Is she alright? Is she more injured and unstable than she lets on?_ A sudden warm servo touched my shoulder, jerking me from my thoughts. I tensed and stared up at Ratchet, Praxians were after all of the shorter build of bots, his deep cerulean optics seemed to stare into my very spark.

"I'm sure she'll be fine Prowl. Let's just get this over with." I nodded and moved discretely out from under his servo. Turning, wings high and tense, I walked to my charge's unconscious side. Ratchet was there, pulling a cable from his wrist joint and plugging it carefully into a panel in the back of Autumn's helm.

He glanced up one more time at me, a curt nod, and then his optics went dim while his facial plates remained impassive.

 **Ratchet's POV**

After plugging into the femmeling's helm I gave Prowl a nod and offlined my optics, intent on sliding through the little femme's processors and looking into what had been done. I would need to check her Emotion Cortex (EC), Memory Files (MF), and lastly her Personality Crystal (PC).

I slipped into the that suction feeling, tunneling through a wall of electricity, a dark tube with crackling lighting to represent cerebration, sensation, modality, and audial. Everything opened up to darkness with very few glowing pin points of light slowly blinked into existence.

 _These_ , I thought in dismay, _are her dreams and hopes... so very little is actually here. I've seen actual sparklings with far more than this._ Pain clenched my spark. _A femme so young, so delicate, with absolutely nothing to live for..._ It pained me to see this. I pushed forward with a gentleness that was almost foreign to me.

Sudden laughter bubbled not far from me, turning towards the flamboyant noise in curiosity; I saw a glowing string of data representing a stray memory. _A memory... in her main data area where there should be nothing but firewalls?_

Concern gripped my spark; _her processors must be more fragged up than I originally thought_. Grasping the strain of data, I took a quick peek to see it was a memory of a beautiful human woman. The woman's eyes were glowing with the fond gentleness of a loving carrier. Feeling, for once, like an intruder, I let go of the memory file and continued my trek.

I found the access area and when her processors asked for a code I entered in the medical over ride 002321. After a moment her Processors accepted the code and allowed me in. I moved to her MF core and was surprised to see all of her memories intact.

Sadly, nearly all of the memories were corrupted with evil and pain from her creator, so much trauma to one so young. Innocence stolen from her, in both mind and body. I moved to her EC and was immediately bombarded with an avalanche of emotions.

It was a raging torrent of agony, confusion flung up like dust, sorrow raining down like the acid storms of Kaon. Everything was fragged up, her Emotional Cortex sparking and glowing with odd pulses of distress. What was once an empty darkness from her opening 'firewall' center, was lit up by a damaged emotional flux.

 _Primus fraggit_ , I screamed mentally, _it is a lot worse than I thought it would be!_ I moved through the flux with caution, worry eating at my spark. It was worse than a battle field, _far_ worse.

I moved onto the last part of her processor that I had to check, her PC-also known as her Personality Crystal. I entered the pulsing area with dread. _What damages, possibly irreversible ones, are in here?_ Biting my proverbial lip, I embarked into her PC and froze.

I could see a long fissure in her mental walls; I had a sinking feeling that if I were to take the physical crystal out that it would be cracked and broken. Slowly moving forward I found two different personality cores, both were cracked and pushed together.

One was the very definition of insanity and madness. There was pain, sorrow, despair, depression, anguish, and fury, along with the desire to kill and destroy. Murderously psychotic laughter coiling around it. The other however, was glowing weakly. A strange but powerful feminine gentleness emanated from it, even far more gentleness than one would see from Firstaid. Perhaps the worst part of this whole thing was that all of this was actually _hers_! There were absolutely no signs of the tampering Soundwave had done!

I began to pull from her processors when I noticed a small file, floating toward me with an unknown signal. It was not a file that had originated from Autumn. I opened it carefully and was astounded by what I found.

Soundwave's signal was all over this file, yes, but there were firewalls and programs that were safe for a sparkling's processors. Specialized coding, and even educational packets for her developing psyche. Lastly a message was encoded to me.

Suspicion tore at my spark, but I carefully opened it to find a report of sorts. All written out to me... and Prowl.

 _ **Autobot Ratchet, Enclosed within this file are programs and necessary firewalls that are suitable for a sparkling of Autobot Autumn's age. I have restored her processors and memory files to the state they were in prior to my interference. Autobot Autumn is a sparkling, and should never have been subjected to my influence, therefore I have taken measures to rectify any damage I might have caused. In addition Autobot Prowl will find most of these programs and files useful for dealing with femmeling. In meantime I shall keep Decepticons away from the Femme as much as possible, she is more important than you could ever know. She is the final creation of the now destroyed Allspark. Though I am now unable to prove my hypothesis, I strongly suspect that the Allspark was sentient. The result is that Autobot Autumn must be allowed to meet her destiny, what ever that might be, without interference.**_

 _ **One of the files that I have enclosed will allow you to dissolve the inappropriate sparkbond Autobot Autumn has with Autobot Sniper Bluestreak. In this way, there will be no repercussions for either of them and Autobot Autumn's processors can fully heal and mature. Suggestion: Autobot Second In Command, Prowl, create a Guardian bond with Autobot Autumn. This will allow her time to completely mature, and she will be safer from Decepticon faction and the repercussions of a spark bond she is not ready for. Once old enough the Guardian bond will diminish and she can recreate the bond with Autobot Bluestreak.**_

 _ **Soundwave, out.**_

With that, the message ended. Frowning I saved the whole file into my own processor and followed the connection back to my own body. Onlining my optics I set my optics on Prowl with an expression of slight confusion, but mostly calculating.

"Prowl, we have a situation."

 **Prowl POV**

Ratchet said nothing by way of warning as he sent me the message and files that originated from Soundwave. I felt my battle computer filter out the rage that filled my processors at the thought of what that Decepticon had so ruthlessly done to Autumn. Then, I was rendered speechless as I processed the various meanings within the message.

Emotionally, I did not want _anything_ from Soundwave with the _sole_ exception of his absence from Autumn's processors! Logic however, dictated a far different course of action. Soundwave stated in his message that Autumn was the last creation of the Allspark, and that she was a sparkling. What I found most unbelievable was that Soundwave… a _Decepticon_ was _logically_ arguing for Autumn's protection! Granted, Autumn is a sparkling, and therefore one to be protected and cherished, but to find that there is a Decepticon, who is noted for his cold and emotionless actions, would also believe that Autumn should be protected was astounding to me. I knew that Soundwave could have destroyed the bond himself, and then arranged for Autumn's capture for use as an unwilling sparkling factory, but I would never have suspected the existence of anything even approaching _morals_ within that spark.

I stared down at the green and white frame. Autumn was fragile and from what Ratchet has said, she would need the bond removed ASAP; but now they had a safe way to do it. Then I could create a Guardian bond. I had to admit, a bond with the femme I considered someone I needed to protect would allow me to do that job far more efficiently.

I would always know when she was injured, what she was feeling, and where she was. Blue no doubt would be upset, but it was for Autumn's own good. Bluestreak would understand. Looking up at Ratchet, who had finished relaying the information he had found only minutes early, I nodded.

"This would be for the best." With a heavy sigh, I watched Ratchet open her chest plates and carefully move a few tubes and wires out of the way to expose her spark chamber. Plugging something else the in back of her helm the medic stood ready as his optics flashed, her spark stuttered briefly, due to the bond no doubt breaking. Suddenly her spark changed rhythm; no longer in tandem with another's, now her spark was all alone.

 **. ! Where's Autumn… I can't feel her anymore!.:.**

 **. had to remove the bond, safely of course, it was harming her..:.** There was silence on the other end, with my brother most probably—83.45472 percent chance—fuming. Now is all I had to do was create a Guardian bond with her.

Looking down at the small femmeling, whom Ratchet was keeping in stasis for all of this, I slowly connected a cord from my spark chamber to hers and linked with her mind. Sending out a signal of a Guardian, I awaited her distressed spark's acceptance.

After a few moments, my signal was accepted by hers, our sparks linking in that of a Guardian's bond. I could feel confusion, fear, pain, and then acceptance of the situation. Retracting my cord from her, I shivered at the feeling of still being ethereally connected by an invisible tether, a bond.

I pressed a little further and felt a ghost of pain pulse in my spark. I sent back a sense of peace, and safety and sighed heavily when I felt her slip back into the darkness of recharge. It was moments like this when I hated being so qualified for everything.


	25. Chapter 25

**Prowl's POV:**

I entered my quarters that I now shared with Autumn to see her sitting on the 'couch', as the humans called it. Her knees were drawn up to her chest with her arms around them. It was as close to a fetal position as possible for one who was sitting up. I glanced at her wings to get a read on them, and saw that they were hanging listlessly down her back in a position that indicated confusion, depression, and even a state of fear.

That was when I realized something. Fear, terror, apprehension, and nervousness were such common states for her, that they must have become a natural state by now. After all, there was certainly nothing for her to be afraid of while alone in our quarters, was there?

I looked over at the 'television' that she was watching to see a few commercials ending. Suddenly my mouth plates dropped open, and my optics shot wide in stark disbelief. I knew that my wings were straining against the limitations of the joints as they painfully flared straight up behind me. I could do nothing but stare and listen in complete shock as the short song played through to the end.

Knowing that I was getting dangerously close to glitching, I finally used my battle computer to filter out the feeling of extreme shock as I heard the words of that song. A more perfect description of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe may never be put to music. I simply could _not_ believe my audio receptors! The individual who created this 'Dukes of Hazard' _must_ have known about those two in order to have described them so accurately.

I ignored the throbbing ache in my processors as I went over and sat next to Autumn. I had learned from experience during the past few days, that she responded _very_ well to comforting touches, calm words, and soothing sounds. Indeed, it seems that Bluestreak had inadvertently used this same method with her to gain enough of her trust to form a spark bond. I knew from Ratchet's reports that my brother was emotionally drawn to her even before her human body was somehow altered into a Cybertronian frame. I also knew from Bluestreak himself that he had offered such comfort and reassurances to Autumn almost as soon as she had arrived on the base.

Avoiding her sensitive wings, I ran my digits lightly down her back.

"What are you watching?" I asked softly in an attempt to distract her from her thoughts.

"A Dukes of Hazard marathon, so I can see how to drive better. I've only been in my alt. mode twice." She answered softly. "The first time I tried… you… you put me in the brig."

I felt my own door wings start to droop slightly from regret at those words. I remembered what I had said to her. _'You are acting like a spoiled sparkling!'_

Of _course_ she had been acting like a sparkling! I am still not certain how I didn't see it then, but she _was_ a sparkling. A sparkling who had simply been trying out her wheels for the first time. What _should_ have been a joyous and momentous occasion in her life had been turned into a horrible event to remember. I had done that… I had made the memory of her first outing into a traumatizing event that had broken her spirit. To make the issue even worse… I had forgotten about her. Those had been mistakes that the sparkling femme had not deserved. While it was true that she could have been needlessly endangering human lives, she _had_ possessed the sense to use the long runway for her antics at a time when it was unlikely to be used. She had _not_ deserved my reaction!

"I… Autumn… I… I owe you an apology."

I was unable to keep stuttering out of my speech patterns. This was much more difficult them it sounded. Pure emotionless logic was simple and elegant in function, but the unyielding reliability that I had always derived was not available to me at this moment. I knew that I would not be able to explain it. This apology was logical, it was merited, and my own behavior warranted my issuance of it. Still… it was not something that was easily accomplished.

She turned her helm to look at me with both curiosity and confusion in her optics. There was also some level of fear expressed in her faceplates.

"That night that I caught you driving on the runway… I over reacted. While you should not have been on the tarmac without permission… I should not have spoken as I did. I should not have placed you in the brig, and I _certainly_ should not have become so engrossed in my work that I forgot about you. You did not deserve that."

I watched as she shrank back from me, sliding away on the couch. Her fear was obvious in the position of her wings, and the look in her wide optics.

"In retrospect, I realize that what you were doing was nothing that anyone else would not have done. You were eager to try out your wheels for the first time. That is something that _all_ ground based forms have done. _Much_ unlike others though, you chose a time and place that was relatively safe for you to do so. Simply chastising you would have been _far_ more appropriate than the course of action I chose. Your actions that night are perfectly understandable, and had I known that you had never been in an alt. mode prior to that night, I would have _expected_ you, or any other bot for that matter, to do such a thing."

I released a vent of overheated air as I sought a means to make reparations for what I had unknowingly taken from this sparkling femme. That was when I realized that the solution already within my servos. I _knew_ that I would end up regretting this, but in the interest of giving her a _proper_ and thorough education, it needed to be done.

"You do not need to view these programs. I will request that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe teach you to drive. Primus knows they are undoubtedly the best."

"Really?"

The sudden hope that sounded in her voice was also evident in the rise of her wings. Autumn looked at me with wide disbelieving optics. I nodded firmly as I continued to stroke her back.

"You really mean it? You'll get someone to teach me how to drive?"

"Yes, Autumn… I will. I am your guardian now, and that means that I am not only responsible for your safety and wellbeing, but I am also in charge of ensuring a proper education for you. That includes learning to utilize your alt. mode to the fullest potential. Make no mistake, they will be _very_ harsh in their criticism, and they will not go easy on you, but once they say that you are ready to drive, then I will have no doubts that you will have learned from the best. Besides… I believe those would be lessons that you will actually _enjoy_!" I answered with a slight smile on my face plates.

"Thank you!"

It was almost a squeal that emerged from the femme, as she turned and curled into my frame while her systems began accelerating rapidly. Her excitement and elation was obvious even without reading the new position of her wings.

Simple kindness. That was what caused her to respond in a positive fashion. It made no difference that that there was a very strong warning included in what I'd told her, what mattered was the manner in which I'd said it. It seemed that all this femme needed was compassionate encouragement, and positive motivation. I couldn't help a smile at both her exuberance, and at my realizations.

One would think that pure logic could solve almost any dilemma, salvage any situation, rectify any wrong, and never falter. The problem I was now forced to deal with, was that logic and reason was of absolutely no assistance at all with this femme. Logical reasoning would dictate that those in a position of authority, those with the authority to enforce _law_ would have been of assistance to Autumn when she needed such help. Experience had shown her that she had much to fear from those in positions of authority, because such help had _never_ presented itself.

Now I, who have _always_ relied on logical, _rational_ thought processes, would have to cast almost all logic aside so that I could deal with Autumn on an _emotional_ level. It would be difficult to state the least.

I had allowed Autumn to curl up against my frame, which was a position that she seemed to draw some form of emotional comfort from, and was idly stroking her back soothingly, when my attention was drawn back to the television.

' _We interrupt this program to bring you a live News broadcast from Tranquility Police Station…'_

 **Autumn POV:**

A man stared out at the crowd of gathered reporters from a position at the top of the steps of the police headquarters. Somewhat tall and thin, he had dark hair and was clean shaven. It was clear that he hadn't worn his suit in quite some time, since it didn't fit properly, but it was clear that he'd cleaned himself up for whatever announcement he was about to make.

"My name is Sterben Mondschein, and I am guilty of more crimes than I can possibly name. I have beaten my wife on more occasions than I can remember. I eventually beat her to death a long time ago. I am here before you to say that our system of child protection _must_ be changed! I have used drugs and alcohol to commit atrocities against a child that should never have happened. My own daughter, Autumn was repeatedly beaten to the point of hospitalization, only to be returned to the care of her relentless and merciless tormentor… _me_! When she was no more than a toddler, yet still, I cut her throat because I didn't want to listen to her screams while I beat her daily. As she grew older… I not only beat her physically, but I abused her mentally, and emotionally as well. Once Autumn was seven years old, I ensured that she suffered even more. I made absolutely certain that she _always_ had at least one broken rib, and usually many more. Bruises, broken ribs… I've even broken her arms a few times. Forget about being _properly_ investigated… not _once_ was I ever investigated _at all_!"

Sterben drew a deep breath to steady himself as the crowd of reporters began giving him dirty looks. He looked past them seeming not to even notice that they were there as he drew himself up and continued.

"Several weeks ago… after breaking several of her ribs in a beating; I waited until the next day. I chained her up, stabbed her in her left lung, drug her out to the woods, smashed her in the back of the head with a rock, and left her to die by either bleeding to death, concussion, or drowning in her own blood. By some miracle, she was found and taken to a hospital, where her life was saved. I understand that she spent three weeks in a coma because of my actions that day. That she nearly died at my hands wasn't enough. The moment I got her home from the hospital… I laid into her with a bull whip. I called her a whore in a thousand different ways as I beat her with that whip. When I was finally convinced that she was completely unable to resist; I shackled her and drug her upstairs where I _again_ stabbed her with a knife, and chained her to a pole. I then tore her clothing off and raped her while calling her a slut like her mother. The next day, she was given no food or water, and I allowed those I called my friends to rape my own daughter while she was still chained helplessly to that pole."

The cries and remarks of outrage from the gathered reporters forced the man to stop speaking for several long moments. When he finally resumed, it was with regret obvious in his voice, and posture.

"I kept her a prisoner in that fashion, had her subjected to multiple rapes on a daily basis for a week without giving her any food or water. It was at that point that several large men barged their way into my home and freed Autumn by sheer bruit force. Although I was badly beaten by one of them, it wasn't even _close_ to what I deserved."

Suddenly Sterben Mondschein seemed to steel himself as he looked directly into the cameras.

"Autumn… I don't know if you are even still alive… but if by some _miracle of God_ , you are alive, and you are seeing this, then you need to know something. I don't expect your forgiveness. I will not ask for it, because _I… do… not… deserve… it_!"

Those words were almost shouted as they were stated clearly and loudly.

"If there is _any_ place that is actually _worse_ than Hell, then that is where I belong. I have taken and stolen _so many_ things from you Autumn, that there is no punishment named that can give me what I truly deserve. I took your mother from you while making you watch as I killed her, I took your voice when I cut your throat, I took your health with countless beatings, and maybe I even took your sanity… I don't know. I admit to you and to the entire world that I stole your virginity from you while hurling insults that I will not repeat, because _none_ of them are true. I will say it to you again… _not one of them is even close to being true_! They were absolute lies meant to hurt you. I can only hope that those men who rescued you from my clutches are giving you the kind of loving home that you so rightly deserve. Whoever your saviors are, Autumn, you should know that they must truly care about you! They would never have gone to such trouble to rescue you from my control if they didn't. Not even steel bars and chains were able to stop them from coming to the rescue that you so desperately needed and deserved. So for what little it's worth… I am _truly_ sorry."

There wasn't a single tear in Sterben Mondschein's eyes as he went silent and finally looked at the gathered reporters. There were now numerous police officers standing and waiting for him to finish speaking so that they could take the self confessed murderer into custody. Many of those same officers were obviously angry and disgusted by the man in front of them, but they held their silence, and surprisingly, were polite enough to let him finish.

There was total bedlam and chaos as everyone gathered started shouting when he announced that he would now accept and answer questions. Finally, he held up his right hand to signal for silence as he prepared to say something else.

"I am _well_ aware that what I have just admitted to will put me in prison for the rest of my life. For what I have done… I deserve _far_ worse! Not even the death penalty is good enough for my crimes."

As soon as he finished saying that, Sterben Mondschein whipped out a pistol gripped double barrel shotgun that had been sawed off to a total length of maybe six inches, and fired both barrels at his throat beneath his chin. The result was that he was immediately decapitated by the blast. His now headless body seemed to remain standing for a brief moment before toppling lifelessly to the ground.

 **Soundwave's POV:**

Immense satisfaction coursed through my circuits as I vented a mass of hot air through my vents while I released the gathered reporters, along with that worthless and now _lifeless_ mech from my control. Manipulating that many at once had taxed even my prodigious telepathic skills. The most difficult part of all of it, was ensuring that the femme sparkling was viewing one of the stations airing the broadcast, without damaging her in any way. I was now certain of one thing… that there would never again be a threat to the sparkling femme from her mech creator. I made certain to keep a copy of his memories in case they would ever be needed for some unexplainable reason, but I find that they are so hideous that I believe even Shockwave would be revolted by them.

I am uncertain as to _why_ exactly the Allspark altered her from human to Cybertronian, but I can and _will_ ensure that she remains free to discover that reason. My skills will also ensure that no Decepticon ever targets her for capture or anything else; and _certainly_ not to be used as a sparkling factory in the way that I originally intended. I do not believe that even Shockwave would defile a sparkling in such a fashion. Had I only known her true age prior to undertaking her enslavement, she would never have suffered needlessly at my hands. May Primus forgive my actions during that time, because I will never forget them. I have done what I can to ensure that the Autobot medic has both the software programs that the sparkling will need, and that the other Decepticons remember nothing of her existence. I can do no more for now, but I will be keeping an optic on her in the future. The last creation of the destroyed Allspark would be safe from me and the Decepticons as long as I could ensure it.

 **Autumn POV:**

I stared at the TV in shock. I couldn't believe it. He was dead. He was actually _dead_! I knew it, because I had seen it with my own optics. My father was dead. He would never be able to hurt me again. I'd never have to be afraid of him… ever again. I didn't know what to say, or if I should even say anything. I was so scared of him. I had been terrified of him for as long as I could remember, and I had _hated_ him for just as long!

The problem was… he was still my _father_! I didn't know whether to laugh in relief, or cry because he was gone. Without him, I could never find out what my mother had been like. I sort of remembered brief flashes of things about her… but there wasn't anything that I could really hold on to. That thought made my spark ache for her. It wasn't so much that my father was gone, but that he had been the only real link to my mother.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know if I should say anything. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do now. That was when I felt someone stroking my back in a way that felt _wonderful_. I could feel those servos pass along every last millimeter of my frame's back. I turned my helm to look up into the optics of none other than Prowl. He had a worried expression of his face plates while he looked at me. Did this mean that he really cared… about _me_? _Why_?

 **Prowl's POV:**

I watched in silence. I had set my battle computer to operate at peak capacity to filter the emotions from my thoughts as I watched that broadcast. Even so, I could feel an anger bordering on rage being filtered by my battle computer, and I was truly thankful for that. The last thing Autumn needed right now would be for me to glitch and leave her to her own devices.

I had known about _some_ of the abuse that was being stated, but I had no idea that it had been such a prevalent part of Autumn's life, or that it was so extensive. The abuse suffered and experienced by my siblings and I _might_ equal that of Autumn's… if added together… but our suffering had been spread out over several vorns… more than twenty times longer than Autumn had even been alive!

As that horrid broadcast continued, I learned what had actually happened to Autumn's carrier. To know that such… such _evil_ existed was almost beyond comprehension. Now… I think I understand exactly _why_ Autumn is so afraid of those in a position of authority. Not only did her creator cause her lasting and maybe even irreparable mental harm, but those who should have protected her from her creator had also done nothing to help her.

The sudden and unexpected demise of her mech creator was _not_ a comforting sight! Autumn might well be further traumatized by witnessing that. I however, am actually _glad_ that this universe will no longer be plagued by that one's existence. I know that I am close to glitching right now, because numerous emotions are starting to seep through the filtration of my battle computer, and there is _nothing_ I can do about it.

I struggle to remain online and functional for Autumn's sake. She is in dire need of her guardian right now, and she needs to know that there is at least one individual who cares about her. I run my servos down her back as soothingly as I can, trying to offer what comfort I may while I am still online. That is when she looks up at me with an expression of utter confusion. I am worried about her, and I think she can see it in my optics. Suddenly she's crawling into my lap like the sparkling she is. All I can do is hold her and offer her my presence. I can only hope that it's enough for now. I can't help but vent softly in relief when the exhausted femmeling slips into recharge. Perhaps tomorrow she'll feel up to discussing what we both saw this day. I send a comm signal to Ratchet to apprise him of my condition. Fortunately, he is on his way.

I held the small fragile frame close to me, my wings tense as an intense pain swept through my processors. I could hear an odd popping and sizzling noise as my glitch began to act up. Just then the door swept in and the volatile medic stepped into my quarters. Suddenly a loud pop filled the room, the vents on my helm opening up to allow cool air into my overheated processors.

Ratchet was suddenly at my side, his armor shimmering as he picked up the small frame of Autumn and set her on the couch. The look he sent me was dry and comprised of pursed lip plates and narrowed knowing lazuline optics. Reaching around my helm I felt him touch something and then everything went black.

 **Autumn P.O.V.**

When I awoke again I was still on the couch, but I was alone. My sensitive door wings couldn't pick up on any movement, spark signatures or bot signals in general. Curling into a ball I looked around the quarters wearily. _Alone... all alone._ I shuttered my optics, remembering a time when I was all alone just like now.

A dark room, a belt... a pole... I gasped in a sharp vent and fell off the couch only to land on a door wing quite painfully. My chassis was heaving, cooling fans working harshly. A keen left my lip plates, panic swirling through me. The sound of pede-steps alerted me to someone coming close. Looking up I jumped to see the saboteur. _When did he come in?!_

"Ya alright lil lady?" I shivered and sat up, wincing when pain lanced through my right wing. Flicking my wing I stared at him in silence.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked in a snappish voice, pain making static lace through it. I winced internally. I sound like a spoiled sparkling!

"Sorry lil lady, Ah forgot ya didn't remember. Prowler is in med-bay with old Hatchet. I heard dat thump and came ta check up on ya." I winced and gave him a guilty look.

"Sorry my wing just hurts, I didn't mean to snap." I whispered softly. I saw the gentle smile, his EMP field generating a soothing feeling that ghosted over my wings. I jumped, startled, I had never felt an EMP field so intense before.

"No hard feelings. Lets get ya ta old Hatchet, yeah?" I nodded and let him help me up. Staggering silently I attempted to flick my damaged right wing to feel another blast of pain. Wincing I walked with Jazz to med-bay to see Prowl sitting on a berth speaking with Ratchet. They both looked up when the door opened, I smiled impishly when Jazz pointed at me and ran. Really?! I wanted to scream after him, slight irritation could be seen in both officers optics.

"What is it now youngling?" I flinched at his tone and walked over, turning my back to them I slowly flexed my right wing as much as I could.

"I f… fell on my right w… wing... it hurts..." I whimpered softly. An exasperated warm vent ghosted over my helm as a firm, yet surprisingly gentle, servo ghosted over my helm.

"I don't see anything wrong, I'm guessing you probably pinched a neuro sensor, I'll have to go under the plating to see femme." I nodded and let him guide me to a birth. After getting situated on my front I felt him reach to the back of my helm and pinch some random wire, then everything went black in a forced stasis.

 **Ratchet POV**

After pinching a stasis inducing wire I carefully pulled the paneling armor off of her door wing and took a look. Low and behold a small wire was being pinched between the door wing joint and her back plating.

Transforming a pair of tweezers from my index digit, I very carefully got the wire out of the joint and inspected it. The yellow-gold insulating tube wasn't damaged and the wire felt and looked fine so I knew it didn't need to be replaced. Carefully placing the wire out of pinching distance I replaced her paneling and turned to Prowl.

"I understand that you do not wish me to perform the scans of yet, but I do need your consent as her guardian to go into her processors to make sure Soundwave hasn't done any more harm. Besides, I need to see how much damage has been done to her psyche. The last time I went into her processors it was for a basic evaluation." Prowl was completely silent throughout my small speech, his optics distant while wings were tense.

"I understand Ratchet; however, I just feel like it is too soon to be going into her processors. We should not be having to do this at all!"

"It will always be too soon with you Prowl! Look at her! Can't you see it in her optics? Her sanity is being stripped by the joor!"

"Do you think I have not seen this?"

"I didn't say that," I snarled and shook my helm. "All that I am saying is that either you give me permission or I will ask Prime to stand witness for you!" Doorwings shot up in the air.

"Under paragraph three hundred point four of sector eight B (300.4/8B) rules-"

"I know very well what the rules are Prowl, but I am CMO and I have authority over both you _and_ Prime should the need arise; and you and I both know I have no qualms about using it. So get it through that fragging processor of yours that this needs to be done and be a mech!" With that I hit him in the helm with my trusty wrench then walked off to my office.


	26. Chapter 26

I came back to consciousness amidst absolute silence, it was eerie really. Onlining my optics I slowly sat up, and looked around. I jumped when I saw Ratchet standing there watching me with critical optics. My throat cables suddenly felt taught; I was alone. Alone with a mech who wasn't Prowl or Blue.

My spark seemed to swell and pulse faster with my sudden fear. A presence pinged on my sensors from my wings. They flicked open and wide, flaring out to absorb the spark beats and signals. There were two other bots in the room! One was Prowl; the other was one that I didn't know. I glanced at Ratchet again; logic and even my memories told me he wouldn't hurt me, but some other part of me screamed that he would. That part was louder than my logic.

I flared my wings some more towards Ratchet, hoping he'd think that I meant business. Confusion swelled up the next instant, why was I flaring my wings at Ratchet? Something brushed against one of my doorwings gently, it felt like a servo. I went to swivel to see who had dared touch my wing, but instead of actually turning I tumbled not so gracefully from the berth.

I scrambled up quickly to see that the hand belonged to a large blue mech with red flame decals. Immediately my wings flicked back as I stared up in shock, I'd seen this mech once or twice but never really spoke to him from what I could recall. He was _humongous_ though! This was not a mech I wanted to anger.

"Easy little one, no one here is going to hurt you." His voice was deep, rich and booming for all that he spoke softly and gently. It was a voice that commanded respect or maybe it was the gentle optics, I'm not sure which, but I was automatically soothed. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but there was something about this mech that screamed 'nonviolent and gentle' even though he was really big and obviously powerful enough to break me in two without really trying while using only one servo.

"Autumn… what Prime states is true. You are safe now; do you know where you are?" I looked up sharply, and realized that the voice belonged to Prowl.

I remembered that he was the one who was taking care of me now, and that I was staying in his quarters. That was when I remembered a few things about him. I recalled the sweet and spicy energon that was almost like cinnamon or something, and then I remembered what he'd said to that man named Galloway; the one who somehow reminded me of my father. I remembered the way that Prowl had actually _protected_ me! Then I remembered one more thing. I remembered him telling me that he was going to get someone to teach me how to drive.

When I remembered these things, I was suddenly compelled to hug him, but I somehow refrained. Nodding slowly I tried to speak, but only warbling chirps, whistles, and clicks came out. I was too stressed at the moment to form actual words.

That was when something in Prowl's expression hardened a lot. "That response from you, more than anything else, illustrates precisely how young you really are Autumn. For most bots, the sparkling method of communication is automatically deleted from our memory files upon reaching youngling stage. There are a very few who are able to prevent that from happening, and those bots usually end up as caretakers for young bots and sparklings while the creators are otherwise occupied. The fact that you have just tried to speak to us using that particular method adequately and _accurately_ demonstrates your age, along with the need to both guide and protect you. That is the reason that I was assigned to be your Guardian."

 **PROWL POV**

I was surprised when the femmeling spoke in the sparkling form of communication. It is strange in that her frame is that of an adult, and yet her processors _clearly_ are not. I could tell from the position of her doorwings that she was somewhat frightened although strangely relaxed at the same time. I had seen that Autumn was driven by her emotions… and until now, I had believed that I understood what that meant. I was rapidly discovering otherwise.

Ratchet had said that her processor configuration and even her memories are now restored to a point prior to Soundwave's interference. This meant that she was now in a 'normal' mental state. The issue at current is that Autumn is a host of extremely conflicting emotions, and that she tends to act on whichever emotion seems the strongest at the time.

That was when I felt her reach through her newly established bond with me. I responded to her feeling of uncertainty, with feelings of reassurance and security. Instantly, fear was clearly evident in her entire frame as she began backing away from all of us.

"Who… why… how come I can't feel Blue anymore?"

Her vocal patterns were quavering in desperation combined with near terror and she was on the verge of tears as she asked that question.

"Your sparkbond with Bluestreak was dissolved through use of a specific and special method. That was done because you are currently too young to have such a bond. When you are _mature_ enough… you will be allowed and able to reestablish your bond with Bluestreak if you choose to do so. For now, you have a caretaker's bond with Prowl. This type of bond will allow you more _mental_ privacy than a sparkbond, but at the same time, it allows Prowl to know if you are in any way injured or frightened, and will allow him to know the direction and distance you are from him. You can still communicate through the bond… _however_ Prowl will _not_ be able to listen to your private thoughts! He is now your caretaker and Guardian so that you will be protected. I want you to understand that this is not a permanent bond Autumn. This bond will only remain in place until you are mature enough for it to dissolve, then once you are ready, the bond will begin to remove itself. This enables Prowl to provide you with both protection and guidance for your safety." Prime stated in an almost creator like fashion.

"I am certain that there will be times when you will not feel comfortable in dealing with Prowl, in that event, I would ask that you speak to either myself, Ratchet, or Bluestreak. I want you to understand a very important fact Autumn. You are _not_ being punished! We… _all_ of us… are simply trying to ensure your wellbeing." Optimus said gently.

I could see that Autumn didn't believe what she was being told. I'm positive that on some level… she _wanted_ to believe it, but experience had shown her otherwise. That was when I realized that this sparkling femme in front of me had, according to an admission from her own sire, not only endured more than my two brothers and I combined, but had suffered all of it in just a mere fifth of a single vorn! It was a spark wrenching moment of revelation for me, but at the same time, it told me something. It told me that Autumn would need almost _constant_ reassurance from those in authority, and that she would not trust authority figures easily.

I knew that Autumn trusted my brother Bluestreak, although I couldn't be exactly certain as to why. My suspicion was the rather calm and gentle, but exuberant nature in which he normally presented himself. The probabilities of that being correct were so astronomically high that my battle computer didn't even bother to calculate them. Another thing I knew was that although he actually _showed_ his emotions, Optimus tended to maintain a bearing and demeanor that was also calm and gentle, even more so than my younger brother. That alone would give Optimus a distinct advantage in dealing with Autumn's rather fearful nature.

 **Autumn POV**

I felt it when the door wings on my back flicked and then tensed in fear. I knew they could see it, _pit_ they could probably _smell_ it. All I really knew at this point was that they had somehow taken Blue away from me. No more sparkbond with him. Now I wouldn't know if someone was telling me the truth or not because I wouldn't be able to ask him. It hurt. At least it felt like it _should_ hurt… maybe they had even taken that away from me too.

All I knew at this point was every thing that I'd lost. I'd lost my home. It didn't matter that it was where my father had treated me worse than slag… it had been _mine_! I… I wasn't even human anymore, I couldn't go to school, I couldn't go see my aunt, and maybe live with her, so I'd lost that too.

I remember seeing some sort of newsbreak, where my father tried to apologize to me. He'd said he was sorry for everything… then he'd killed himself. My father was dead… gone… and with him any chance I would ever have to know what kind of person my mother had been. The one thing that had been _mine_ … was Bluestreak… and now he had been taken away from me too.

I wasn't even aware of what I was doing as I backed up to the wall and sat down in a fetal position. I could feel the tears of energon running down my faceplates. My vents were heaving from the overheating of my processors. I just wanted to curl up and die.

"I… I should have jumped. I should have jumped off that cliff when I had the chance." I muttered sadly.

 **Optimus POV**

I had tried to explain to the young femme _why_ we had done what we did, and I made certain that I was as calm and as gentle as possible while doing so, but I don't think she was in a state of mind to even hear us, forget about actually _listening_ to me. I could see her wings holding a position of near terror as she backed to the wall and slumped against it. There was a loud and sickening crunch as one of her sensitive doorwings hit the wall hard while she slid down to the floor. I knew from simple observation that it had to have been excruciatingly painful, but she showed no sign of even noticing. That was when I knew. I knew that this young femmeling, Autumn, was suffering from a spark born emotional pain that no amount of physical torment could possibly come anywhere _close_ to matching.

Both Prowl and Ratchet stepped forward at the same time; each obviously intending to attempt to console the young femme. I placed a servo on Prowl's shoulder to hold him back, while I shook my helm at Ratchet. They instantly got the message. I stepped forward and knelt down next to Autumn where she was now curled into a fetal position while sitting against the back wall of the medbay.

That was when I heard the softly muttered words. I couldn't help it as the image of her twisted and broken frame lying at the bottom of a cliff crossed my vision, and I felt my spark clench in both pain and fear. To know that she believed death to be preferable to what she was now feeling tore at my spark. I placed my hand lightly on her back and began stroking downwards.

"This is not permanent Autumn. The only thing that _is_ permanent here is the fact that you are safe with us. We will not hurt you Autumn… nor will we allow anyone else to do so." I told her softly.

"How… how do I _know_ that?" She sobbed in a near wail of total despair.

"Autumn… if we wished you harm, would we have bothered, or even bestirred ourselves to get you away from the man who was hurting you? Before that, would we have bothered to check on you to make sure that you were healing properly? Would we even have cared enough to find out where you lived so that we _could_ check on you?" I reached out and gently lifted her helm to look her in the optics.

"I do not want you to answer those questions for us. Instead, I want you to find those answers for yourself." I told her as I allowed a small smile to grace my faceplates.

"You have a home here now, Autumn; a home that will be as safe for you as we can possibly make it. The question is… will you give us the opportunity to give you the kind of home you should have had from the start?" I asked her softly while still gently stroking her back.

The young femme didn't answer. Instead, she curled into my chest plates and started sobbing even harder. I picked her up and stepped over to the medical berth to sit down. Then I pulled her firmly into my lap to let her cry, while I resumed stroking her back. Simple optic contact with Prowl, let him know that I would be a while and for him to allow us some privacy. I wanted Autumn to feel safe and unconstrained. That would not happen if she was surrounded and felt trapped, and I did _not_ want her to feel that way. I looked over at Ratchet before glancing at the energon dispenser and sending him a brief message though my comm unit. Ratchet quickly filled a cube before adding a few minerals to it, set it down next to me, and left the medbay.

 **Autumn POV**

My crying was finally starting to slow down, and I realized that I was being held in the lap of a very large mech. Whoever this was; they were a lot bigger than Blue or Prowl. Tears were still running down my faceplates when I looked up to see the face of the one called Optimus Prime. Stark terror ran through my frame, and I swear I felt the energon in my lines run cold. I was immediately trying to get out of his lap and away from him, but he was holding me steady. The weird part was, even though he wasn't letting me go so I could get away from him, he wasn't hurting me either.

"Easy Autumn… just relax and calm down. I won't hurt you; I promise. Just relax."

His voice was the weirdest thing I've ever heard. Deep, booming, and powerful like it would echo around the whole world, but at the same time, it was soft and rich. It was even sort of kind and gentle. It had a sound to it that was almost like he didn't know _how_ to yell. Then I felt him stroking my back and it felt good. No… it felt _wonderful_!

It was… it was like he knew exactly what to do to make me feel better. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but for some reason I felt _safe_ … and something kept telling me that I shouldn't feel that way. But I did.

I shuttered my optics and reveled in the feeling of his servo ghosting down my back. The touch was so light that it almost wasn't there… but it _was_ there! It felt better than anything I could remember. Interfacing with Blue had been _really_ good, but that was somehow different… this just felt… _right_!

I wasn't really thinking about anything as I curled back up in his lap and laid my helm against his chest plates. That was when I could hear and almost _feel_ the rhythmic thump of his spark as it pulsed in his chest. Everything about this big mech seemed like it was larger than life… his size, his voice, and now even the sound of his spark was like nothing I'd ever heard or felt before.

"Autumn…"

I looked up at the large mech that I didn't really know all that much; I mean, I'd only met him once and maybe spoke to him one other time, so…

"You need to refuel. Your energon reserves are getting low. I instructed Ratchet to prepare a cube for you. There are some additives in this mixture. There is zinc to help strengthen the plating of your protoform, silicon for your processors, and gold for your conductive materials and wiring."

I couldn't help but stare at the cube of energon he was holding out to me; waiting for me to take it.

"Gold? You want me to drink _gold_?" I'd never even gotten lucky enough to ever have any gold _jewelry_ , and now I was being told to _drink_ it?

 **Optimus POV**

"Yes, Autumn… I do want you to drink it. Your systems need the fuel, and you need those minerals to be at your best. Your frame is still developing in many ways. As you grow older, your processors will be able to handle more data. Your protoform will continue to grow slightly, and gold is well known to be the best _natural_ electrical conductor available." I explained in a kind tone.

I knew that Autumn had a very traumatic past, and that her experiences with her own creator gave her every reason to be frightened of anyone in a position of authority. Prowl had also informed me of her creator's demise. It was surprising in that it had actually been recorded by one of the computers on the base, and I have watched it. I can almost wish to Primus that I hadn't.

Although his general appearance had changed in that he'd attempted to clean himself up some, it was immediately obvious that this was still the same individual that Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, Bluestreak, and myself had needed to rescue Autumn from. The _very_ disturbing admissions made by the human only served to further illustrate _why_ Autumn would be so fearful of those in positions of authority. If Autumn was to begin living some semblance of a normal life, she would have to be shown that she didn't need to fear those in control. That was part of the reason that I needed to be involved in her care, another part was that as a sparkling deprived of the Youth Centers, she would need to be cared for by all of us.

"You… you _really_ want me to drink this? To drink gold? That stuff's _expensive_!"

"Yes Autumn, I do. We are not at _all_ concerned with the expense, because you need those minerals. Do you not believe that you are worth caring for?" I asked her.

I had expected some type of affirmative answer. What I didn't expect, was the expression on her faceplates and the shock in her optics as she looked up at me. Doubt, apprehension, nervousness, and even some fear was there to be seen.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I walked into the medbay to see Autumn curled up in the lap of Optimus Prime. She was staring up at him with an almost frightened look in her optics. I watched in silence for a few beats of my spark as Autumn searched his faceplates for something. I don't think she found what she was looking for because she looked down and shuddered, while her wings drooped in despair.

"Autumn… do… do you still… are you mad at me for what I did?" I stammered because I wasn't sure how to ask the question, and I wasn't sure I really wanted to know the answer.

"What did you do that I should be mad at you for?" She asked, looking at me with confusion.

I felt my wings droop in shame. What I had done to her would have had me offlined for simply trying such a thing on Cybertron before the war. It was unconscionable… taking advantage of a sparkling in such a way. I felt like rejected scrap.

"I… I took advantage of your age. I sparkbonded with you when you are still too young." I answered softly.

"Why would I be mad at you for that? That was the best thing that ever happened to me… and _now it's gone_!" She finished in a near shriek of despair.

"Autumn listen to me. You are still too young! If I had thought about it for just an instant, I would have realized that. I don't know how it was done, but removing our bond was for the best. I was told that we can renew our bond later, when you are ready… and… and if you'll let me… this time we can do it right." I told her strongly.

"What do you mean 'do it right'? What was wrong with the way we did it before?"

"What was wrong was that damned _bet_! I hate that I ever accepted it. I don't regret bonding with you. Never think that! What I regret is that making that pit slagging bet hurt you, and I never want that."

"You… you really mean that… don't you?" She asked me in a voice that quavered with the same doubt that was in her optics.

That was when I noticed that her optics were dimmer than they should be after recently coming out of recharge. I stepped forward and picked up the cube of energon that was sitting next to Optimus.

"Yes, Autumn, I do mean that. With all my spark I mean that. Here, you need to refuel, and this is just what Ratchet would order." I said with a hopeful smile while holding out the cube.

"But there's… he said there's _gold_ in it!"

"Gold? Oh good! That's really great for your circuits." I exclaimed happily when she tried to protest.

"There is also zinc and silicon in it as well." Optimus added quietly with a light smile.

"Zinc for the protoform, silicon for the processors, gold for the circuits, and fuel for the systems, what more could a bot ask for? This is almost as good as high grade, except that you don't get overcharged and you don't end up with seriously achy processors in the morning!" I exclaimed.

Autumn just stared at me for a moment with her mouth hanging open. I didn't even have to read her wings to know that she was stunned. "Go ahead, drink it, you'll like it, I promise."

 **Autumn POV**

I reached out and took the cube of energon from Blue. I couldn't help but stare at it for a bit. The strange pink color was swirling with a metallic hue that was really pretty to look at. It was almost too pretty to drink.

"Blue? Can… will we still be friends?" I asked hopefully, almost dreading the answer.

Then I saw the most wonderful smile cross his faceplates and his wings shot straight up. "Always! I'll always be here for you Autumn, and I will _always_ be your friend."

When I heard that I couldn't help but smile. I took a sip of the energon and almost choked. It was sweet, rich, and _incredible_! It was almost like eggnog that had strawberries, cinnamon, rum, and sugar in it all at once. The only thing was there was none of that awful burn that came from the rum… just the flavor of it. This stuff was _good_! The only problem is the next thing I know, I'm looking at an empty cube. I didn't even remember drinking it.

That was when I felt Optimus shaking around me. I looked up to see that he was struggling to keep from laughing. Was he laughing at me?

"I would say that she liked it, wouldn't you agree Bluestreak?" Optimus asked with an even bigger smile and still chuckling.

"Absolutely. In fact, I think she needs another."

"Oh that I can agree with. Besides, as young as Autumn is, her systems do not yet have the efficiency to hold a charge for long periods of time like ours. If you would prepare a second cube with two point four ounces of each of those minerals in it, I would be grateful. I would do it myself, but I seem to be somewhat… _occupied_ at the moment."

Optimus didn't actually laugh, but I _swear_ that I could hear it in his voice, and see it in his optics when he said that. Then Bluestreak laughed when my tanks rumbled at the thought of getting more of that wonderful concoction. Suddenly my back was arching into the servo that was ghosting down the center of my back. It felt so good I shuttered my optics and reveled in the feeling. I don't know why he was doing this to me, but Optimus sure knew how to make me feel better about things.

Blue brought me the cube of energon, and this one had even more of the stuff in it, so the taste was a bit stronger, but it was still good, just really rich, so I had to go slow with it, like a super rich chocolate. It was one of those things that you just _have_ to savor slowly.

 **Bluestreak POV**

I watched Autumn as she slowly drank the energon while still curled up in Optimus Prime's lap. If she were in the lap of almost any other bot, I'd probably be incredibly jealous right now, but I knew Optimus was only trying to make Autumn feel safe and welcome. After what Prowl had shown and explained to me, I knew she needed that. Primus… she wasn't even a fourth of a vorn in age! It was the kind of thing that tore at my spark. The only thing that made me feel even a little better than scrap was that she said it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

After what I had done to her, after the way I had taken full advantage of her youth and innocence… she _still_ wanted me as a friend. The way she'd asked, it was almost as if she were afraid that I would say no. How could I say no… _why_ would I say no? Autumn is the most amazing femme I've ever seen.

Most femmes I've seen preferred more action. They enjoyed races, whether they were watching or participating. They loved to go out and party or dance the entire lunar cycle. But not Autumn, sure she enjoyed driving, but then, what ground form didn't? Quiet talks, a sunset on the cliff by the ocean, the sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks, the scent of the trees. These were the things Autumn had enjoyed with me, peaceful things. Things that allowed me to forget the war, and all the bad memories it contained. That was what made Autumn so amazing to me. How could I not want the serene peace that seemed to be a part of that spark?

 **.:Ratchet to Bluestreak…:.**

 **.:Go ahead Ratchet:.**

 **.:Has Autumn consumed the energon I mixed for her?:.**

 **.:Yes. She drank it down so fast that Optimus asked me to fix her a second cube of it.:.**

 **.:Good, she needed that fuel. I put selenium in it to act as a sedative on her systems, so she'll go into recharge soon.:.**

 **.:But she just came out of recharge.:.** I protested.

 **.:She can still use some more, especially with those minerals she needs to absorb. There's going to be a meeting with all senior staff as soon as Autumn enters recharge…:.**

 **.:And you want me to watch her?:.** I asked interrupting.

 **.:No! I want you to attend the meeting. The following bots are to be there… Optimus, Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide, Myself, you and Smokescreen. That way I can give a full breakdown on Autumn's condition to all who will be immediately affected.:.**

 **.:Yes Sir.:.** Now I was worried. Obviously this wasn't going to be a typical meeting, and it concerned Autumn. That fact alone had me _really_ worried.

 **.:Oh… and Bluestreak?:.**

 **.:Yes?:.**

 **.:Make sure your tanks are empty.:.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Ratchet POV**

As soon as Optimus and Bluestreak entered the war room, I sealed the door and activated the sound barriers. This was not something that needed to be spread about. I was the last one to take a seat, and I looked around the table at each of the bots gathered there.

"I'll get right to the point, this meeting is about Autumn, and Smokescreen, if you _ever_ reveal _anything_ that is said in this meeting, I will not only offline you _slowly_ , but I will make sure that you beg no less than Primus himself to take your spark _long_ before I actually offline you!" I began with a glare at the mech who was notorious for gambling, blackmail, and sometimes even gossip.

"I am being forced to breech doctor – patient confidentiality for the sake of the patient in question, and you had better _never_ repeat _any_ of it to someone not in this room or even allow some other bot to overhear you speak of it. Am I _perfectly_ understood?"

"Besides, as of this moment, Autumn is now your patient as well." I added quickly while still glaring at the mech.

"I take it dis is real serious den?" Jazz asked leaning forward and placing his mid arm joints on the table.

"Yes Jazz it is… very serious!"

"Autumn has a forming glitch unlike any that we've dealt with before." I began slowly.

"How serious is this particular glitch and what is the exact nature of it?" Prowl asked quickly.

"Autumn's personality core is split. There are actually _two_ separate and distinct personalities within her. The first, the one we are familiar with, is a perfect definition and description of insanity. It's filled with nervousness, apprehension, fear, anger, guilt, and depression combined with a psychotically murderous rage that includes a penchant for self destruction and a fear that borders on terror of those in authority. The second personality is kind, gentle, and forgiving, with a very loving nature that is actually hard to believe."

" _Now_ you understand what I see in her!" Bluestreak exclaimed.

I couldn't help but look over at the bot sadly. He really hadn't had any idea what he'd been getting into when he had formed his bond with Autumn. Unfortunately, I had to be the one to tell him.

"Actually Bluestreak… _none_ of us have seen any _hint_ that this second personality ever existed. What we have seen from Autumn so far is _strictly_ the damaged personality. The other is far too weak, too repressed, and too ineffectual to dominate her systems at this time." I told him as gently as I could.

"So she is a pit spawned glitch then. I _knew_ it!"

I couldn't keep my engine from growling ominously as I ground my denta and glared at the weapons specialist. "Ironhide, I will tell you only once, that if you _ever_ call her that again, I will reformat you into a portable toilet for the humans to use, and I will _ensure_ that _you_ are the only such facility on this entire island! Autumn is a sparkling, and she has already been through the very pit itself. So far the only thing she's had for any type of protection from _anything_ is a mere _memory_ of her mother… what we would term a carrier. That memory is located where her _nonexistent_ firewalls should be. That memory is what she uses to try and protect herself from _any_ type of harm… mental _or_ physical!"

"But… but that…" Ironhide began to protest.

"Exactly!" I glanced at each of the bots at the table to see that I now had their undivided attention. "Autumn's sire has tormented her and treated her even worse than the 'Cons treat their prisoners. Apparently, the only thing that has kept her even _partially_ sane is that one hazy memory of her mother's love and kindness."

"Can she not be made to understand that we will now protect her?" Optimus asked with quiet intensity.

I vented heavily as I looked over at the large bot. I knew him to be a caring and compassionate mech who always tried to see the best in others. I also knew that it took a lot to make him angry, but what I had to tell everyone here would probably do that and more.

"That won't be as easy as it sounds."

"And why not? Surely Autumn will now have some evidence to reinforce that belief."

"No Optimus, she doesn't. What she knows is based on the traumatic experience of her past. Right now, she probably sees us as being no different from any of the other human adults who have already failed to protect her when they were charged with doing so. The reason for that is because when Bluestreak found her, she was dying. Chained up, abandoned in the woods for any carnivore or scavenger to finish off, stabbed in her left lung to drown in her own blood or die from blood loss, and smashed in the back of her helm to die from cerebral damage. The result is that she was in stasis or a coma, which for humans often precedes death, for three weeks. At the end of that time frame, we did something that was no different from all the other figures of authority that Autumn is familiar with… we sent her back to her tormentor." I stated sadly.

Primus this was hard! I have so much that _needs_ to be said, and yet I don't want to violate Autumn's privacy any more than I absolutely have to.

"Her father was going to kill her after that. He had already stabbed her again, chained her to a pole, and had her subjected to repeated rapes to the point that if she had remained human, she would _never_ have been able to conceive a child because her reproduction system was severely and permanently damaged. It's a miracle of Primus that she was still alive when we got to her. She had already been a couple days without food or water. I won't even factor in the blood loss from being stabbed; the lack of water alone would have killed her within seventy-two hours. We returned Autumn to her father so that he could end her life! So why would she see us as being any different from others who were _supposed_ to help her? Why should she view us as anything even _slightly_ different from her own mech creator?" I demanded strongly.

I glared around the table to see that every mech there was in a state of shock. I had never seen Prowl's doorwings drooping so listlessly before, but there was no way that I was going to say anything to him about it. The issue at servo was _far_ too serious for such teasing! Smokescreen looked like he wanted to purge his tanks, and even Jazz had lost his jovial attitude and become all business.

"So what are we sposed ta do now?" Jazz demanded.

"What we do now is something that we Autobots do best… we work together to correct the problem, and overcome the obstacle. It's going to take a coordinated effort from all of us to overcome Autumn's past."

"That will not be easily accomplished. I have seen the confession of Autumn's creator, and he stated that once Autumn reached the age of seven, that he made certain she was always experiencing pain from at _least_ one broken rib, and sometimes even a broken arm. She has been physically assaulted on a daily basis to such an extent that the abuse and pain might very well comprise a vast majority of her experience and memories." Prowl said as he leaned forward and lifted his wings to a close to normal position.

"Those memories of abuse are what she remembers most Prowl. I've seen victims of the 'Cons who had been tormented for several vorns endure much less than what she has lived through in barely more than a fifth of a single vorn."

"Oh come on! You're making it sound as if this human mech was even more twisted than Soundwave or Shockwave!" Smokescreen exclaimed angrily.

"Smokescreen… when you consider that Soundwave was _already_ in her _processors_ , deleting her memories, could have done whatever he wanted, before he realized her actual age and _restored_ her to what she was prior to his interference… then you'll understand that her sire was actually far _worse_ than a Decepticon! Even _Soundwave_ doesn't condone what Autumn has been through! After seeing what she has for memories, I doubt that _any_ Decepticon would act in such a way! _Offlining_ a sparkling is one thing… but torturing them? Not even the worst of our enemy has ever done such a thing."

"If… if that's the case, then why am I here?" Bluestreak asked in a mix of anger and sadness.

"You are here for a _very_ good reason. Bluestreak, you've got advantages that no one else has right now, in fact there is no one on this _planet_ who has the same advantages that you do… a pair of advantages that will be sorely needed for Autumn's benefit."

I could see the confusion and nervousness spread through the mech rapidly. At the same time there was also a determination to help the young femme that he still considered to be his mate.

"What's that?"

"You have her trust."

There was absolute silence in the room as everyone looked at the young bot.

"You are also the only one that Autumn has _ever_ considered to be a friend." I added sadly.

"Am I to understand that Autumn's existence up to this point has been completely bereft of friendship as well as one of non stop abuse?" Prowl demanded in disbelief with his wings arched angrily.

"Yes Prowl, that is exactly what I'm saying. Autumn has latched onto Bluestreak as something she can depend on. She sees his cheerfulness, enthusiasm, his compassion, his kindness, and the fact that he seems to care about her, and she will do absolute4ly _anything_ she can think of to hold on to that." I answered.

"So my making that bet with Blue…" Smokescreen began with slow suspicion.

"Ended up hurting her emotionally to the point that she actually considered offlining herself."

"Is _that_ what she was referring to when she mentioned that she should have jumped off that cliff when she had the chance?" Optimus demanded with a low growl of his engine.

"When did she say that?" Bluestreak asked almost instantly. It was a question I wanted answered as well.

"A short while ago in the medbay. It was right after I went over to her." Optimus stated sourly.

"That would have been right after she tried to use her bond with Bluestreak and discovered that it was no longer in existence. I responded with feelings of security, and tried to reassure her, but to no avail." Prowl stated.

"Prowl… I haven't examined Autumn's memories in complete detail, so I can only give an informed opinion on this, but I would guess that Autumn has relied _very_ heavily on her bond with Bluestreak…"

"She did… well… sort of." Bluestreak said as his wings dropped a bit while in deep thought. "She seemed to get my opinion on almost every situation, and she was almost always nervous, scared, or angry. The few times she wasn't scared or nervous was when she was either training with Jazz, or talking with me. She was sometimes even frightened while talking with Ratchet, but mostly she was just nervous around him."

The idea that I had somehow frightened the young femme didn't help my emotional state at all. Until I heard Bluestreak say that, I had thought that Autumn rather liked me, although I had suspected otherwise at times. Now, I knew it for a fact. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it was proving to be much more difficult than I had begun to suspect.

"In order to combat Autumn's past, I will need each of you to assist in helping her to some extent. Smokescreen, you know psychology, so it will be up to you to make absolutely certain that the rest of us know immediately if Autumn starts falling deeper into despair. Jazz, she actually _likes_ you! That jovial attitude of yours will be a large factor in helping her, because she doesn't actually see you as being in a position of authority. Gain her confidence, and if you can, her trust and friendship. Prowl, you are her Guardian now. It will be up to you to show her that she doesn't have to live in a state of constant fear. You have a Guardian Bond with her… _use_ it! Send her feelings of security, safety, and reassure her at the _slightest_ doubt. She needs that… _desperately_." I said firmly before venting heavily to sooth my overheating processors.

I held my silence for a moment before continuing.

"Autumn has lost her family. Her femme creator was offlined when she was at a _very_ young age, and she is still tormented by the memory of having seen that happen…"

"She saw her carrier offlined?" Ironhide interrupted angrily.

"Yes, Ironhide, she did. She was forced to watch helplessly as her sire killed her carrier, and she recalls all of it in vivid detail. That event occurred at an age when she was young enough that she _should_ have forgotten it by now, but it made such a horrendous impact on her life that she _can't_ forget it!" I answered angrily.

"As I was saying, Autumn has no immediate family. Her carrier apparently had a sister, but now that Autumn is no longer human, that one link to her carrier is also lost to her. As far as she knows, she is completely alone."

"No… she is not!" Optimus interrupted firmly. "Autumn might be very young, but you obviously believe that there is still hope for her or you would not have requested this meeting. There _is_ a way that she can be helped."

"Yes Optimus, there is… and _you_ will play a key role in that. We know that Autumn's creator was a cruel and merciless tormentor. You will need to replace her creator as a mentor, a surrogate sire, and a _concerned_ authority figure. You are the Leader of the Autobots, the rightful ruler of Cybertron, and therefore the figure of _absolute_ authority in Autumn's life right now. Because of the authority inherent in your position, she fears you. In fact, she may even be terrified of you."

Optimus nodded his helm, and I could see that he was deep in thought. Primus! I could even _hear_ the hum of his processors as he mulled over what I'd said so far. I hated being forced to reveal such information, but _slaggit_ … Autumn had no one to turn to, no one that she could seek out for advice, no one that she felt she could count on for any type of help. I knew that _any_ of the bots on base would help her with almost any problem… for that matter almost any of the _Autobots_ would try to help. The problem would be getting Autumn to understand that. With no one to speak for her, I was left with no choice, I _had_ to break my silence, but that didn't mean that I was going to enjoy doing it.

"Ironhide… you have a lot of experience with sparklings. You need to understand that Autumn is in fact a sparkling. If you add in her human existence, she has only been functioning for little more than sixteen human years, and so help me Primus if you don't treat her accordingly, I will reformat those precious cannons of your into urinals for the humans…"

"Dealing with her won't be a problem."

"It will be when she's _terrified_ of you!" I growled while glaring at him.

"Why would she be afraid of me?"

"She's not afraid of you Ironhide… she's _terrified_ of you… _mortally terrified_! Think about it. The first time she was actually able to recall meeting you, she was terrified that she was going to be spark raped by all of us, and that happened _immediately_ after she changed from human to a bot! The third time she dealt with you I had to spend _jours_ putting her back together after you and Mirage nearly tore her wings off! You didn't even have the decency to help her adjust to her new weight distribution or center of gravity… oh no! You simply stuck her in a surprise ambush and watched to see how she dealt with it! Given those facts Ironhide… why would she _not_ be terrified of you? Honestly… you'd better be glad that Bluestreak pounded on you before I could get to you, because I was planning on doing _much_ worse!"

The old Weapons Specialist was glaring at me with a very sour expression on his faceplates. I knew he was angry, but he needed to be angry at _himself_.

"I was just trying to teach her a few things. It's not like I tried to offline her."

"You may not have been trying to offline her Hide, but you will have some serious trouble convincing _her_ of that! You pulled that stunt during the _second_ time that Autumn had been allowed out of the medbay after becoming a bot! She hadn't even had the chance to adjust to having a frame that was much larger, heavier, and with much different proportions than her human body. You don't seem to realize just how precarious her mental processes are right now, so let me inform you. Autumn was not sparked in a normal fashion. She was _changed_ from human to bot. The result is that I'm still not sure what programming incongruities or anomalies are present in her processors. There's no telling what other problems will need to be corrected." I growled angrily.

"Right now Autumn needs _friends_ , she needs individuals that she can count on, because Primus knows she's never had that type of reliability or stability before. Look, I know that there's no one here who wants to see Autumn offlined… but the problem is that _she_ doesn't know that!"

There were several grunts and sounds of disbelief at that statement, and I couldn't really blame them. The idea that any bots would be cruel enough to offline a sparkling and a femme sparkling at that was revolting, but the thought that Autumn might believe any of us to be capable of such a thing was even more disturbing.

 **Optimus POV**

I had listened to everything that Ratchet had said so far, and it was more than just disturbing. I didn't want to believe that it was possible for Autumn to think we would have her offlined, but I had held her in my lap. I had stroked her back to sooth her, spoken with her… and yet there was fear behind every action, and every word.

Then, the image caused by the words she had whispered in despair crossed my processors again. Her twisted, mangled, and broken frame lying at the bottom of a cliff offline. It was not a pleasant thought. The idea that she believed death to be preferable to her current life was _not_ acceptable! That would most definitely have to change.

"Ratchet… what we need now are methods of solution. We need to know what we can do to help Autumn recover from her past. Berating us about what we have already done will not solve anything. You've examined her processors, so you know better than any one else what her actual condition is. So tell us… what do we do now?" I instructed.

"Indeed. A proper course of action is entirely warranted. If Autumn continues to develop in a state of constant fear, it will have severely detrimental effects on both her programming and behavioral status as she matures in the future. That can not be allowed to happen. The focus now should be on what needs to be done to prevent such a possibility from occurring."

Prowl might have said the words calmly, but I could tell that this meeting wasn't easy for him. Dealing with the revelations that were coming to light was not pleasant or enjoyable in the least.

"You're right." Ratchet exclaimed with a heavy vent.

"Bluestreak… Autumn considers you a friend. Because of that, you are going to need to be around her as much as possible. As long as you are nearby, she doesn't feel as threatened as she otherwise might. You are no longer sparkbonded to her so I do _not_ want you interfacing with her…"

"But I wouldn't do that to her!" Bluestreak protested as he quickly became distraught.

"Bluestreak…" Ratchet growled warningly. "That instruction is not directed at _you_! I know that you won't try to take advantage of her that way. Primus… that femme loves you and cares about you a _lot_ more than she cares about _herself_! I am telling you this because _she_ might try to initiate an interfacing session. If that happens… don't go through with it. One thing I know from delving in her processors is that she doesn't see any difference between interfacing and simply holding her servo. To be honest, she believes that holding her servo is more intimate, because after interfacing, she has to recharge. That means she's not able to enjoy simply being held. She derives a tremendous amount of emotional satisfaction from physical touch that has nothing to do with causing physical injury or harm. That's because as far as she remembers, there are only two who have done so… you and her carrier. What that means…"

"What that means is that my brother has somehow become her center of safety. She equates him with security, along with a sense of feeling, and _being_ safe." Smokescreen explained suddenly.

"Exactly! Autumn feels safe when she's with or around Bluestreak, because he has already shown her that he will protect and defend her. I don't like admitting it, but when Bluestreak attacked Hide and Mirage over the damage that Autumn received, it made a strong impression on her. That combined with the fact that he's responsible for saving her life on two separate occasions is part of why she trusts him."

"Den we gotta have Ol Blue stick around her, don we?" Jazz asked quickly.

"Either Bluestreak or you, Jazz." Ratchet replied just as fast.

"Huh? What I got ta do wid dis?" Jazz demanded in surprise.

"Autumn feels comfortable around you for some reason. Even though you are Third in Command, I don't think she actually sees you as an authority figure, because you are so easy going." Ratchet began to explain.

"That can be helpful actually. If Autumn doesn't view Jazz as a typical authority figure, then he might be able to help change her viewpoint on such things." Smokescreen interjected quickly. "It may not be much, but it's better than nothing, and it's worth a try."

"Yes it is." I said quickly. "Jazz, you will show Autumn that someone in a position of authority can be a friend that she can trust and count on for help."

"Ya got dat right Optimus. Ah ain't gonna kick back an let er be scared all da time. Dat's part o why I been teachin er ta defend herself. Ah ain't actually hurt er, but I been pushin er pretty hard; makin sure she knows dat she's learnin something." Jazz interjected with a grin.

"That's true. I know of many times that Autumn needed a hot soothing session in the wash rack after she had trained with you. She was beat, sore, and exhausted, but happy that she was learning something. She actually enjoys those training sessions with you Jazz." Bluestreak said enthusiastically.

"Good! Ah want er ta feel dat way. Don get me wrong, ah ain't goin easy on er in tha least, but ahm not putting er back in tha medbay neither." Jazz proclaimed firmly before he vented heavily.

"Look, ah knew she was gonna be a special case as soon as we foun er. Dat house where she was chained up didn't get like dat anytime fast. Dat kina thing don't start happenin quick neither. As soon as ah saw tha condition she was in… ah knew. Ah knew dat she'd been goin through dat for a long time. No one came ta help er, and ah bet she thought no one even cared. Dat's why ah been doin mah best ta prove dat wrong. Yeah… she kina likes meh… at leas ah _hope_ she does, cause she needs friends. So far, meh an Blue done a lot ta help er, but it ain't enough." Jazz said quietly before turning his helm to Ironhide.

"Hide yer gonna have ta change tha way ya think about er. Right now, she's scared o us. Yer holoform ain't as scary to her. Use it. Make er see dat she ain't got a reason ta be scared o ya. If she was in a frame dat was right for er age, ya woulda known right den how young she was, an none o dis woulda happened, cause ya wouldna let _anyone_ hurt er! Ah know dat, an ya know dat too. Dere ain't no way we can change what frame she's in, but ya gotta remember dat she ain't nuthin but a sparkling. She's been beat down ta tha point dat she even thinks she's _expendable_!" Jazz explained before he was interrupted by protests from around the table, my own among them.

The only one who _didn't_ protest was Ratchet. All except Jazz turned to look at the CMO for some type of explanation.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think Jazz may be right. Autumn was berated by her sire for a very long time. Yes, I've seen that slagging confession from her pit spawned sire. That and Soundwave's actions in restoring Autumn's memories, programs, and processors in addition to providing us with additional information that we need to help Autumn is why I asked for this meeting. Slaggit, I've had to yell at Autumn because she will not even defend herself. She's so accustomed to being berated and insulted that she simply lets it happen. The fact is that when Autumn's sire wasn't heaping physical abuse on her, he was trying to destroy her mentally. It was an almost constant act that Autumn had no escape from, because she had been rendered mute at an early age, she also couldn't argue against it. Thanks to what her sire did, Autumn has been considered different throughout her life. She's had no friends, and no one that she could turn to for help in _any_ situation. The fact that she hasn't offlined herself already is a Primus blessed miracle. Pain is the only thing she is actually _familiar_ with. Whether that pain is physical, mental, or emotional makes no difference. Autumn is very lucky that we got to her when we did. If her sire didn't follow through in killing her… then it is very, _very_ likely that she would have offlined herself." Ratchet said sadly.

Almost all of us were looking at Ratchet with horrified expressions on our faceplates. Ratchet had his helm in his servo, and it was clear that he was almost at a loss of what to do.

"Autumn was to the point that she felt very little on an emotional level. The only states that she was familiar with were fear, and anger. She was already to the point that she _needed_ the pain from her physical injuries in order to feel _something_. She was unable to stop her sire from abusing her, so she turned to causing some injuries to herself, by cutting her wrists. By that point she might have felt that she _deserved_ to live in pain, I don't know. What I _do_ know is that even though Jazz hasn't been in her processors, he's apparently observed enough of Autumn to know how to help her even more than I can. Physical damage, programming damage, even some processor damage… those are things I can fix… but I _can't_ fix a broken or damaged spark… and that's exactly what Autumn has."

"Don worry Ratch… I got yer back struts on dis. We all do! Prowler's gonna be watchin over er, teachin er a few things, an talking with er. Blue's already er frien, an dat ain't gonna change no time soon. Smokey is also gonna try an be er frien… ain't chya Smokey?"

Jazz had turned his helm to look at the interrogator, and although his words had a seemingly friendly content to them, the tone was one of strong warning and there was no smile on that normally jovial face.

"Sure… of course. I'll be her friend, but what exactly is it that you are expecting of me?" Smokescreen asked with a bit of nervousness.

I couldn't necessarily blame Smokescreen for being nervous at that point. Jazz was well known to be friendly and outgoing to almost everyone. It was even rumored that if it weren't for the fear that Megatron inspired, that several Decepticons would join the Autobots simply because of their friendship with Jazz. When Jazz was serious though, it was a much different matter. I knew him to be an extremely deadly mech when he had reason to be.

"Ah want ya ta make friends with er Smokey. Tell er stuff, funny stuff ta make er laugh. She needs dat. She needs ta be able ta laugh about something. She done spent too much time tryin ta be an adult an watch out for erself, an not enough time bein a sparkling. It don't have ta be nuthin impotortan either, just so long as she can laugh about it." Jazz said without a trace of his normal humor in his frame.

"Optimus…" Jazz began as he turned his helm to face me.

"Ah know ya ain't tried ta scare er none, she's still scared o ya anyway. Dat's gotta change. Ya know dat an so do ah, but it ain't gonna happen quick. Ah know ya can show er dat she ain't gotta reason ta be scared o ya. Let er see ya around me an Blue. Show er that ya know how ta _smile_! Primus knows tha femme don't see much o dat, an dat's what scares er tha most. A buncha cold sparked mechs would scare anyone. Smile, laugh, even it's at one o mah _really_ stupid jokes! Dat serious stuff is what scares er about Prowler. Yer a lot bigger den she is. Her human father couldn tower over er tha way ya do. Yer a lot stronger den she is too. Yeah, she ain't human no more, but she ain't really gotten used ta thinking like a bot neither. She looks at chya an sees a mech that can break er inta pieces widout really tryin. Autumn sees tha _size_ o ya… _not_ tha mech dat we all know is inside dat big frame o yers. Ya gotta show her dat tha frame ain't what makes ya tha bot dat ya are. Ah know ya'd nevah hurt er, an so does everyone here, but we _ain't_ tha ones dat need convincin… _she_ is!" Jazz told me earnestly.

I could see where Jazz had a very valid point. I knew that the sheer size of my frame could be very intimidating to others, but I rarely needed to use my size to my advantage. Now it appeared that the normally impressive size of my frame would be a liability. Was that why I had seen so little of Autumn? Did she avoid me not only because of my position, but because of my size as well? Jazz was right. Somehow I had to show Autumn not that she didn't need to fear me, but that she _shouldn't_ be afraid of me. I thought back to the short amount of time I had spent with her before coming to this meeting. Autumn _had_ been afraid of me at first! Then, once I started holding her and attempting to sooth her, she had accepted my presence. That was when I recalled the way she had reacted upon seeing Ratchet. He was one of the bots that Autumn was most familiar with, if she was still frightened of him at times, then I would most likely need to repeatedly deal with Autumn's fear of me.

"Prowler… ya got tha toughest job outa all o us. Ya gotta be tha one who has ta deal wit er when all o us are done for tha day. Yer gonna see er more den we do. Ah know it ain't gonna be easy for ya. But dat battle computer o yers ain't gonna be any help wit er. She's a bundle o neural receptors Prowler, an emotions are what's gonna be drivin er. Yer gonna have ta forget a lot o logic while dealin wit er, cause otherwise yer only gonna scare er more den what she already is. Ah hate ta say it, but ah told ya so. Ya gonna have ta learn ta _smile_ Prowler. Show er dat ya ain't a slaggin _drone_! Showin er nuthin but cold logic is prolly what her sire did on a _good_ day! Dat means she needs ta _see_ ya act like ya got some feelins in dat spark o yers. Ah know ya gonna need help on dat, so ya call meh if ya need ma help. Like ah told ya before, she's a special case, an ya gonna need ta go easy on er." Jazz said seriously while looking at my Tactical Officer.

"You are correct Jazz. You _did_ inform me of such facts… _long_ before Autumn's precarious condition was actually discovered. I am curious as to how you knew then, what the rest of us are only now learning." Prowl stated in a calm manner although his wings gave away a large amount of tension in his frame.

"Dat's simple Prowler. Ah watched. Ah was watchin er when she was still human, an ah saw the problems she had. Ah saw how she barely trusted Blue, an how she was scared o everyone else. Like ah told ya, it took a long time before she would even let Blue hold on ta er servo, an he saved er life! As far as she's concerned… everythin falls inta one o two things… either it's a threat, or it ain't. If it's a threat, den she's scared o it. If it _might_ be a threat, den she figures it _is_ a threat. Command staff… dat's a threat. Doctors, Medics, Healers… whatever tha humans want ta call em, all they done is fix er up enough ta go back ta her sire. Dat's why she's scared o Ratch. It ain't cause o his attitude. Sure he's got a temper, but he ain't nevah hit er. She's scared o Ratch cause he's a _Medic_! Ain't no different from some bot comin round ta fix ya up so tha Cons can torture ya some more."

"Primus! Is _that_ how she sees me?" Ratchet demanded in obvious horror.

"Maybe at first Ratch… but ah ain't sure dat's tha case anymore. See, when she was brought here, ya gave er back er voice, an dat was a big thing for er. It was important! It helped show er dat ya ain't like tha other Medics she dealt with. Then ya tried ta keep er safe. Deep down, she knows dat. Believe meh Ratch… Autumn _wants_ ta be able ta trust us, but she's so scared ta do dat cause o what she's done been through. It's been so much dat she may not know _how_ anymore!"

"I believe that we now have enough information to know how to effectively deal with Autumn in the near future. Jazz, since you have observed Autumn well enough to know more about her than the rest of us, I would like you to make yourself available in case one of us needs some advice on dealing with Autumn. I do not want her to isolate herself, nor do I want her to be frightened of us. In this particular matter, you will have to play a key role." I told everyone while looking at Jazz. To my surprise, Jazz smiled at me.

"Ahm here if dey need meh, sides, Autumn can be a bit o fun, an interestin ta talk with, once she trusts ya." Jazz answered smugly.

I couldn't shake the strange feeling that Jazz somehow knew much more than he was telling us.


	28. Chapter 28

I lay on my abdominal plates, the warm berth inside of Prowl's larger home was oddly comfortable. It had been roughly two human weeks since that encounter in medbay… since I'd found out that Blue and I no longer held a bond. That still hurt, and I really didn't want to think about it. Rolling onto my side I curled in on myself, wings flicking minutely.

Warnings crossed my vision, my tanks gurgling and twisting uncomfortably. I just couldn't force myself to intake energon. I always made it seem like I was taking some in for Prowl's sake, but I just... I couldn't do it. Something in me was so tired and done.

I knew what the Autobots would think about it if they knew, but no, I wasn't trying to offline myself. I was... am... so tired of living up to everyone's expectations. It felt like they wanted to see a happy smiling face, a bouncy femmeling who was roaring with energy. But I wasn't. I am Autumn. I was a human… now, I am an Autobot. I am...

I always repeated this mantra to myself, but after I got to the Autobot part I got lost. Who am I? What am I? What am I supposed to do now? Such philosophical questions for such an incompetent femme. I shuttered my optics against my inner voice. It had been going on a lot lately, but I was too scared to tell Prowl and even more terrified of telling Ratchet. So I just confined myself to my berth room, hoping that I could somehow handle it. But I was having a hard time.

Getting up with a soft huff; I snuck into Prowl's side of the quarter's. Opening his door, I peeked in nervously; he was on his back in recharge. Soft pillows supporting his wings so they wouldn't hurt him when he lay on his back struts. I bit my bottom lip nervously, I wanted to go in, to climb up into his berth, and recharge. However, I didn't think the SIC would appreciate that at all. His best friend, and secret lover in my opinion, Jazz _might_ let me do that, but I wasn't positive about it.

Biting my lip plates harder I backed out of his room and walked into his 'living' room. Flopping down onto the couch with a heating blanket draped over me, I slowly fell into an uneasy recharge. I quietly curled in on myself and struggled to stay in recharge.

The uneasiness hanging over me kept waking me up. I just kept feeling like something was going to happen, and very soon. I was just so _tired_. The warnings came across my vision again.

 **Energon levels: Critical. Power levels at .09 percent. Obtain fuel immediately.**

I rolled over; facing the couch I tried to ignore the signal that was flashing a bright red. Not even five minutes later; it flashed across my vision again, it didn't matter if my optics were open or closed. It would still flash in my vision.

 **Obtain Fuel.**

Groaning, I rolled off of the couch and looked towards Prowl's berth room. The door remained closed for the most part. Sneaking over to the energon cupboard I grabbed a stool and climbed up on it. Prowl was a good dozen feet taller than I, so stools were a given whenever I was looking for something.

I looked over my wing nervously; he didn't appear at the creak of the cupboard opening. Nor the stool sliding across the floor. Reaching into the cabinet I pulled out an energon cube, he typically stashed these for quick fueling on days when he didn't have much time because of a surprise meeting and such.

"Autumn?" A smooth soft voice murmured behind me. I jumped with a soft gasp, optics widening as I dropped the cube and clumsily tumbled from the stool. I rolled up onto my feet I stared at the mess, at Prowl, the mess again, and then at my pedes. I knelt down and began picking up the glass like shards of the broken cube. Stammering out my apology as best as I could under the stress I was suddenly put under. Somehow... I just knew that I was in serious trouble.

"Sorry! I should have asked first, b-but... I didn't wanna wake you. And..." A warm servo gently settled over my own delicate ones. The servo was large and white, black and white armor attached to it... I looked up slowly from under my white chevron. Biting my lip plates.

 **Find Fuel Source Immediately. Power levels now at a critical .06 percent.**

"I am not angry at you Autumn, it was just a cube of energon. Here." He stood up and grabbed a new one. The mech silently pulled me up to my pedes, his grip gentle and warm. He had me sit on the stool I had been climbing on. Then he handed me the cube and told me to intake my energon.

I obediently sat, guiltily watching, as my guardian, Second in Command Autobot Prowl, picked up my mess. His motions were quick and precise as he cleaned up the shards and then the energon.

"I'm sorry. Prowl... I'm really sorry." Suddenly, warm servos cupped my face and made me look up into his eternally mesmerizing blue optics. His normally stoic face was softer now. It seemed relaxed in a way I had never noticed before.

"I have told you not once, but twice. It is a simple mess. However, next time I ask that you ask me for something so that I may help you. Agreed?" I smiled shyly and sipped on my energon, wings tilted down shyly.

"Then... can... can I recharge with you tonight?" I asked nervously.

Prowl blinked and a faint smile touched his lip plates. He shook his helm and gently petted one of my door wings. "Considering I know that you will not recharge unless you do, yes. You may."

 **Prowl's POV**

I was in recharge when my internal alarms alerted me of my berth room door opening. My wings picking up on the femmeling's spark signature and I sensed her emotions. Was she alright? She didn't seem injured, just very indecisive.

When she disappeared I slipped into a sort of twilight state for a bit until I heard the squealing of furniture and soft pedes on a chair. I knew that noise and I strongly disproved of the actions that I knew it to be derived from; the femmeling should not be climbing. Sitting up with a soft groan I walked silently out of my berth room and entered the 'kitchen' area. There in the shadows stood my charge, her soft teal armor with its white and black accents catching the lighting just right. She was standing on a chair gathering energon, a quick scan had me internally crying out in shock. She was close to dropping into stasis lock! But how? She always appeared to drink her energon, but then again the key word was _appeared_. Obviously she had not been doing so for reasons I couldn't begin to guess at.

"Autumn?" I murmured softly. Suddenly the small young femme gasped and dropped the cube; it shattered against the ground and sprayed glass and fuel everywhere. I wasn't worried about that though, I was more worried about the small delicate femme who had toppled from her stool.

I took a step forward, my wings rising up in concern and slight anger. Why hadn't she asked me for help? I would not have yelled; I would not have hit her. She quickly rolled up to her pedes. Soft aquamarine optics looking from the mess to me and to the mess again before she knelt down. A soft apology was stammered out in fear, and my spark clenched at her words.

"Sorry! I should have asked first, b-but... I didn't wanna wake you. And..." So that was the reason? I knelt down and gently covered her delicate little servos with one of my larger ones.

"I am not angry at you Autumn, it was just a cube of energon. Here." I stood up and grabbed a new one, forcing her to sit down and drink her fuel as I cleaned up the mess. I would have to talk to Ratchet about her starving herself. That was not an action I would condone. I began picking up the pieces quickly and putting them in the trash bin. Her soft little voice causing my spark to leap and clench again.

"I'm sorry. Prowl... I'm really sorry." I stood up and cupped her gently rounded cheek plates in my servos. My optics locking on hers so that I could make sure she understood my next words.

"I have told you not once, but twice. It is a simple mess. However, next time I ask that you ask for something so that I may help you. Yes?" Her delicate little wings flicked down shyly as she sipped some more on her cube. I waited patiently for her to speak; patience was clearly the only effective way to deal with her.

"Then... can... can I recharge with you tonight?" She asked me in a very nervous tone.

I blinked and a faint smile touched my lip plates. I shook my helm and gently stroked one of Autumn's tense door wings. "Considering that I know that you will not recharge unless you do, yes. You may." I murmured, slowly letting go of her face plates to make sure there were no shards left on the floor that might penetrate between armor plating. Trying to get debris from between muscle cables is a pain that I do not wish to deal with, nor do I want Autumn dealing with it. I turned and silently moved to my room and laid down on my berth, the piles of pillows cushioning my wings so that I could lay on my back.

I sighed and perked up at the sound of small pede steps. I quickly offlined my optics and pretended to be in recharge, not a moment later the little femme under my protection and care came scampering in and climbing up in the berth. I smiled, when I felt her curl up and rest her helm on my abdominal plating. The sound of her systems relaxing and her going into recharge was calming.

I onlined my optics to gaze down at the little femmeling with soft optics. She was so delicate and fragile, even though she was in an adult frame.

 **::Prowl.:: ~** Ratchet

 **:What can I do for you, Ratchet.::** I replied, optics turning back up to the ceiling as I settled one of my servos on her helm. My digits gently caressing her chevron in a way my own carrier used to do to me.

 **::Can you send me scans of Autumn?:: ~** Ratchet

I winced internally at his question. I knew for a fact that she was not doing well. She had not been taking in energon and she was in a very light recharge, apparently she wasn't slipping into a deep one. Obediently I scanned her and sent the data to Ratchet, not a moment later yelling and screaming was heard echoing down the halls. No doubt from a _very_ angry medic.

 **Jazz POV**

Glancing around, I quickly hacked Prowl's door and crept in. I thought I'd surprise Autumn by sneaking in and giving her some energon goodies I'd finagled. However, upon inspecting the officer housing unit I didn't see the little femme anywhere. The couch was empty, the carpets and kitchen spotless. Her berth room was mostly bare but had a few splashes of color beginning to take place.

I couldn't help but to grin seeing a plushy on her berth, picking it up my grin widened at the sight. It was a soft plushy of Prowler. Shaking my helm I gently set it down on her white pillows with pink fringes, her thermal blanket a soft pastel pink. The personality beginning to bloom in the room was spark warming to me, a sign that she might, just might, be getting better.

Slipping out of her room I walked to Prowl's, tilting my helm to listen. My sensitive audio horns picked up on two sets of soft cooling fans and a purring engine. Raising an optic ridge I opened the door silently and peaked in. Prowl's icy blue optics immediately met mine and I struggled not to laugh. His lap was full of a snuggling little femme, her wings twitching with her dream cycles. Autumn's helm was on Prowl's abdominal plating, her little frame draped across him diagonally. Effectively pinning his legs to the berth.

"Well ain't this just cute!" I whisper-yelled as well as quickly snapping a picture and storing it in my protected files for later. Prowl gave me a look and pinged my com link with a file.

"Not really." He murmured, voice holding a tense tone to it I didn't hear often. Cautiously opening the file I felt my spark drop.

 **Systems:**

 **Energon:** _ **Depleted. Running on maximum capacity fume cycle.**_

 **Internal systems:**

 **Wires:** _**Burned and melted together at joint junctions.**_

 **Wings:** _ **Tension axles-ground down. Seek immediate medical care for replacement.**_

 **Recharge:** _ **Inadequate.**_

 _ **Staying half online through recharge protocol activation time period. Suggestion: Seek medical attention for override protocols.**_

I looked up at Prowl in shock. My mouth hanging open in horror. I knew Prowl wouldn't let her get like this if he knew, so he must have just found out too. She was _starving_ herself and going without recharge?!

"Ratch' is gonna kill us." I spoke dryly, my spark pumping faster. Prowl nodded and glanced down at the little femme in his lap.

"He has informed me that he would like to see Autumn for a random check up." Prowl murmured. I shook my helm and sat down on the edge of the berth gingerly so as to not awaken the femmeling.

"We'll bring 'er in when she wakes. Right?" Prowl nodded and I relaxed. I really didn't wanna drag her out of her recharge, if you could even call it that. She needed what little she was getting, even if it was only the bare minimum.

 **Autumn POV**

I was in a sort of twilight trance, which was how I always seemed to recharge, even as a human. It had just gotten worse as of recent; I always awoke feeling more tired than when I had gone to bed. I knew it wasn't normal but I couldn't bring myself to go to Ratchet, I just couldn't bother him. The older medic did enough as it was. Plus... well I didn't want him to hit me with anything.

The sound of voices was slowly lulling me out of the twilight state, but the hum of systems and warmth was keeping me just under the surface. Every time I felt myself getting closer to reality, a warm servo would begin to stroke my chevron; it was like getting a tranquilizer to the face plates. Immediately putting me back under the lull of serenity. The voices were distorted and far off; my body was feeling fuzzy and like it was moving on its own.

Suddenly panic bubbled up in my spark, my frame tensing as I jolted up. Confusion swelling over me, a mech was close to me. Two mechs were. My processors were scrambled and I couldn't seem to figure out what was going on. A voice inside of me was screaming they were a threat. Before I could actually run a pair of strong arms were wrapping around me. My wings pinned to a sleek chassis and a deep humming reverberated through me. Immediately I melted into the grip and came back to reality. Whatever that was, the anger and vengeful side getting ready to rip and tear, it scared me. I found myself staring into Jazz's face plates, his servos cupping my cheek plates as Prowl held me from behind. Both of them asking what happened.

I merely shook my helm. How could I tell them I had been about to try to kill them? Shivering I curled into Prowl, hiding my shamed face plates against his chassis. My spark was thrumming so fast I thought it might explode out of my chassis.

"Autumn?" A warm silky voice murmured. I glanced back at Prowl, his optics locked on my own with fiery intensity.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine. Bad dream, it… it was just a dream." He gave me a skeptical look but didn't push the issue. None of the mechs ever did. At least they seemed to be very patient with me. Prowl gently stroked my wings to calm me down further. I relaxed back against him, avoiding optic contact. Jazz suddenly perked up, visor glowing brilliantly.

"Hey, Ratchet wants ta see ya lil lady." I flinched and coiled in on myself.

"I don't wanna see him!" Both mechs made a soft noise of reproach in the back of their vocal processors.

"You should not speak so rudely about or of him." Prowl admonished softly. I flinched again and lowered my wings. Scrambling from their laps I wrapped my arms around myself and chuffed softly.

"Fine. Let's go then." I muttered, not in the mood to get in trouble.

 **Ratchet POV**

I was working in my medbay and waiting for Prowl to arrive with the femmeling. Searing rage was still echoing in my spark and bubbling through my lines. The femme was not only depriving herself of a proper recharge, but she was also starving herself. To say I was angry would be an understatement.

I continued to polish my wrench repeatedly, my systems humming with stress. The femme was suffering from severe processor instability, and was, as the humans would say, mentally ill. I couldn't punish her for doing this to herself, because I wasn't certain that it was intentional. It would be like beating a newly sparked petro puppy for chewing on your table leg. I internally grimaced and pinched the bridge of my nasal ridge. _Great, now I am associating her with a petro puppy._

Suddenly my medbay doors opened to display Autumn, with Prowl and Jazz standing right behind her. She looked terrified, no doubt from the sudden growl that had left me. I sucked in a vent and forced myself to calm down.

"Autumn, I need you to sit down." The words left my vocals softly, the tone as soothing as I could force it. I watched the way she twitched nervously, twiddling with her digits.

Here I heard her sigh, Autumn's optics dimming minutely as she slumped in on herself. Frowning I strode forward to gently cup her jaw.

"Autumn, you are not here to be punished. Understood?" She nodded compliantly, a faint smile tugging at her lips when Jazz started making faces at her. They were comical enough that _I_ almost started laughing.

"Jazz!"

"What?"

I rolled my optics as she giggled, all the nervousness seeping out of her. I tilted my helm curiously at that whilst Prowl simply smirked and shook his helm. Could any bot around here ever stay serious?

"I'm sorry Ratchet. I really am!" I looked into her optics and saw earnest intention, but also something else.

"Autumn, you can't continue starving yourself. If you continue to do this your frame will begin to cannibalize itself for nutrition to keep itself going. As for the recharge... I may need you to stay here for a few lunar cycles to study that myself." I watched the way she winced but shrunk down with a defeated look.

"I try Ratchet, but I can't recharge. I haven't been able for as long as I can remember." I frowned at that.

 _ **.:: So its not just since she became one o' us den?::.**_ ~Jazz

 _ **.:: It would appear not Jazz. Ratchet, is there a solution to this?::.**_ ~Prowl

I sighed softly and pinched the bridge of my olfactory receptor. There might be a solution; however that would require me going through and messing with her programming...

 _ **.:: I... might be able to fix this. I'd be able to do more if Perceptor was here. He knows more about coding than I do. ::.**_ Being forced to admit that was hard, but the scientist understood how to manipulate coding much better than I on a good day... and that was with him nearly in recharge. Still, I'd see what I could do. With time that is.


	29. Chapter 29

**Sunstreaker POV**

I was in the brig… _again_! Only this time, it was because Sides and I had gotten those little glitched out slaggers _good_! We had put those locking wheel guards on all four tires of both of those slaggers. Then we chained them together by their front bumpers with exactly _no_ room to spare! It took Hatchet a total of six human hours to get those two apart. When he finally did, they couldn't resist beating the slag out of each other. It was so bad that Optimus had to separate them. It was _totally_ worth it! I bet Skids and Mudflap _never_ mess with my paintings again! My brother and I had gotten those rusted out glitches so good, that every time we even _look_ at each other across the hall we burst out laughing! Oh, Hatchet wasn't happy with us at all. That's why he'd stuck us in separate cells.

I was still smirking over this when I heard the firm measured tread of pedes coming down the corridor. I knew that tread well. That perfectly measured step was always so impeccably timed, so synchronized that each and every step had the exact same distance to it… down to the last micro-millimeter. Prowl was coming to see us for some reason.

My brother and I glared in the direction of the mech fully expecting to be told that we had to spend even _more_ time in here than the five stellar cycles that Hatchet had given us. I stood up to glare darkly at him as he approached my cell. Suddenly, a pair of crashes, that were probably heard all over the base, was caused by me and my brother falling on our afts when Prowl simply unlocked and opened our cells.

"You are not to be punished for defending your personal effects against an unprovoked assault. Ratchet should have consulted me before placing the two of you in the brig. Because just as when _you_ are forced to run from the victims of your pranks, the younger twins are also responsible for their actions, and _they_ will be taking your place. Once they are released from the medbay, that is. The two of you were fully justified in your actions. The fact that you didn't cause them any physical harm in the process is to be commended. I must therefore applaud both your actions _and_ your restraint." Prowl said simply before letting us out.

"Now, I believe that the two of you owe me a favor which I have yet to collect on. I wish to collect my payment now."

Sides looked at the mech suspiciously, and I wasn't looking at him too happily either. I knew exactly what favor he was talking about, and it was something that we had owed him since before the war started on Cybertron. Both of us were waiting for him to go on.

"The payment will be as follows; I wish for the two of you to teach Autumn how to drive. I want the two of you to teach her to be able to use her alt mode as effectively as the both of you are able to use yours." Prowl said seriously.

We _both_ knew that Prowl had absolutely _no_ sense of humor, so he wasn't joking about this.

"Why do you want _us_ to teach her?" Sides demanded skeptically.

"Because other than running from an undesired situation, Autumn has only been able to utilize her alt mode twice. The first time was late in the lunar cycle. She snuck out of the medbay and was trying her wheels for the first time. I immediately acted to give chase, not realizing that it _was_ the first time for her…"

"Aww _slag_!" Sides exclaimed disgustedly as he glared at the mech in front of us.

I could feel a growl of my own welling up in my frame. For as long as we had known Prowl, he had always been one to spoil some good fun… but _this_? This was taking things _way_ too far! A bot's first time on their wheels was supposed to be special… almost _sacred_ … even _we_ knew that! But Prowl was admitting to ruining it for Autumn. I didn't even know the bot; I'd only met her once when we landed, but even then she acted almost… timid somehow.

"She was able to enjoy the freedom of her wheels for less than three minutes before attempting to hide from me in the medbay." Prowl admitted plainly.

I shook my helm while glaring at him.

"There is also the fact that Autumn is now my charge. While she might be in her adult frame, she is _still_ a sparkling of less than one fourth of a single vorn in age. She has not been taught how to handle any type of weapon as yet, and according to Jazz, she is not yet adequately able to defend herself appropriately in unarmed combat…"

"So she needs to be able to run." My brother finished bluntly.

"Yes. I know from experience that the two of you are better at… _evading pursuit_ than any other bot equipped with wheels. I doubt that she'll be anywhere close to being as fast as either of you, but because of what I have already inadvertently caused, some appropriate compensation must be made. That is why I am requesting that the two of you instruct her in driving."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing from Prowl. He was _admitting_ to being wrong! To us! I looked over at my brother to get his opinion on this.

 **.:I say we do it.:.**

 **.:Why? He's the one who fragged up her first time! He should be the one to fix it.:.** I sent back angrily.

 **.:He knows he can't. That's why he asking us. Primus knows we're the fastest bots on wheels, and the best there is when it comes to racing. Besides, you heard what he said about her age; are you really gonna give the 'Cons a chance to get their servos on a sparkling femme?:.**

 **.:Slag no!:.** I sent back after he asked that last question.

I knew that Prowl had figured all this out before asking us to do this, which meant that he was manipulating us to get what he wanted. I didn't like it at all, but he was doing it for a good reason, and that reason wasn't something that would benefit him directly from what I could see. Besides, this would give us the chance to find out what this femme was like.

"Alright… we'll teach her… on a few _conditions_." I growled with a warning glare.

"Very well. What are your conditions?" Prowl asked hesitantly. I could tell from the way he answered that he was sure he wasn't going to like them at all.

"She stays under our instruction on this until _we_ are satisfied that she knows how to drive, the second is that _no one_ interferes while we are teaching her. The third condition is that we'll need the entire tarmac and the runway for at _least_ one full solar cycle… maybe more depending on how fast she learns, and what she's capable of. We'll also need a solar cycle, or better yet a lunar cycle to set things up, that way she can begin her instruction at the start of a solar cycle." I said with a grin.

"I will agree to those terms with a condition of my own; Autumn is _not_ to be harmed! You are not to take any chances with her health. She has already endured _several_ assaults that have nearly offlined her because they were _intended_ to do so! So do _not_ turn this into what the humans call demolition derby!" Prowl declared firmly.

"As if I'd scratch up my paint like that!" I shot back with a growl.

"Where is she now?" Sideswipe asked quickly.

"Autumn is currently in the medbay recharging under Ratchet's supervision."

"You just get everything set up so that she can start her driving lessons as soon as she emerges from recharge. Sunny and I will take care of the rest." Sideswipe said with a smirk on his face plates.

"Don't call me that!" I growled with a glare at my brother, before demanding the specs for Autumn's alt mode from Prowl.

 **Sideswipe POV**

Sunny and I spent most of the rest of the night getting things set up for Autumn's lessons in the morning. It took Sunny an entire two breems to decide on the course he wanted. In the end, he modified one of the human's courses which surprised me that he actually used one designed by them instead of a Cybertronian course. Then I saw the layout and the specs on the course, and I had to agree. With a bit more length so that the long straight would allow some additional speed, the track was perfect. The runway and tarmac didn't have the elevation changes like Circuit Of The Americas ©, so we increased the total length from three point four miles to a total of five miles to get a better insight on how well she could manage her alt mode. Sunny used a water soluble paint to mark the outline of the track in wide white lines

That was when Sunny did something that no one but me would ever believe. He changed his alt mode so that it was exactly what Autumn was using. He even went so far as to install and _use_ governing software so that he couldn't do anything _she_ wouldn't be able to do. Then he sent me the same specs and restrictions.

We spent the next 21.6 breems (3 hours) pushing that Ferrari alt mode to the limit. We kept at it until we knew exactly what Autumn would be able to do as far as braking, turning, drifting, acceleration, and what type of lateral G forces she would be able to handle before sliding sideways after losing traction. The solar cycle had already begun more than two breems ago, and several humans were observing us with wide grins on their faces. When we were finally ready, having learned everything about what Autumn _should_ be able to do on the course, we switched back to our own alt modes, and began to place cones to mark certain spots near the turns. By the time Prowl practically escorted Autumn out of the hanger, we were ready.

 **Autumn POV**

I stared at the track that was painted onto the runway and felt my spark sink in my chest, while my wings drooped on my back. _'There's no way I can do this! I don't even know how to drive yet, so how can they expect me to run a race track?'_

That was when my wings picked up a quickly fading signal, and I looked back to see Prowl leaving. He was _leaving_! He was leaving me with two mechs that I didn't even know. I could feel my wings droop even as I turned to look at the two mechs with wide optics.

"Here's a question for you. How the pit are we supposed to teach you how to drive, if you're so tensed up and scared that you can't even transform or start your engine?" The red one asked me with a smug grin.

"I… I can transform _and_ start my engine!" I stammered in protest.

The red mech crossed his arms and smirked at me while the gold one just stared with an irritable expression on his faceplates. "Looks like you'll have to ' _prove it'_ as the humans often say."

I transformed into my alt mode, and started up my engine with a loud roar. I could feel some anger welling up in my spark, but at the same time I was nervous and scared. _'What were these two going to do to me? Were they going to be like Ironhide and Mirage had been? Maybe… maybe they would be like Jazz.'_ I could only hope so, but I didn't feel very reassured.

I didn't know, but I sure remembered Prowl telling me that these two had been Gladiators before the war, so that meant they also knew how to fight a _lot_ better than I did. Then, before I could wonder about anything else, they were giving me instructions.

"We haven't been introduced yet, so I'll tell you that my designation is Sideswipe, and this is my brother Sunstreaker." He said pointing to the gold mech. "When it comes to driving, we're _the best there is_ … no questions about it either! That's why Prowl wants us to teach you a few things." The red one named Sideswipe told me.

"We're going to tell you when to hit the accelerator, and how hard. We're also going to tell you when and how to hit the brakes, and when you need to coast. When one of us tells you something, you need to listen. I don't like to repeat myself." The gold mech named Sunstreaker said in an almost growl.

I was glad that I was in my alt mode, because I was sure that if I'd been standing in front of them, my doorwings would have been hanging straight down my back. These two scared the spark out of me for some reason, and I don't know what it was, but there was something that told me not to make either one of them any angrier than they already were.

Then they both transformed, and Sideswipe got in front while Sunstreaker got behind me. They started giving me instructions one how to follow the course they had laid out. I was supposed to drive between the cones they had set up, and basically stay on the road. It didn't really _sound_ that hard, but the way they were talking to me, it was pretty clear that they didn't think I'd be any good at driving.

 **Sunstreaker POV**

"I want you to follow my brother. We'll go a few laps for this lesson." I told the femme just before Sides took off with his rear tires screaming. I had to give the timid little femme some credit. She didn't even need to be told to take off after him. She was hard on the gas, but didn't spin her tires. Acceptable, but not good, and _certainly_ not the best.

"When you take off in a hurry, you need to hit the accelerator hard enough to make your tires spin just a bit. Once they start losing traction, ease off until you regain it. You want to learn that fine point of control between spinning your wheels uselessly, and getting maximum possible acceleration." I told her.

I knew that the first lap wouldn't even be _close_ to her best, but I had no intention of taking it easy on her because of that. We had several cones set up to serve as markers for her braking, turning, and acceleration. Once she got used to using them, _if_ she got used to using them, she'd have a much easier time of running the course.

As we approached turn one, she was a few clicks early in applying her brakes, and she hit them too hard at that. To top things off, she took that hard left way too wide. It was clear that she had a _long_ way to go. She mostly followed my instructions, but not exactly. Either she didn't trust us, or she didn't trust herself… my bet is that she didn't trust her driving skills. That was going to change if my brother and I had anything to do with it.

Autumn went _way_ too slow while passing turns two through eight. She should have listened better, and done what she was told _when_ she was told. She kept hitting the brakes too soon, and too hard. On top of that, she wasn't hitting the accelerator hard enough. She did okay in turns nine and ten, but turn eleven was too slow, and too wide, slag, she even missed passing between the cones that marked the apex of the turn! Then she was _way_ too slow in getting back on the gas, and that cost her a _lot_ of speed in the long straight.

Instead of hitting the brakes the way I told her to, Autumn slid to a stop well outside of the course we had marked. I'll give her credit on one thing; she's got her transformation sequence down, because she was bouncing on her pedes in flash. My brother and I came to a stop, and transformed to watch her jumping up and down in excitement.

"One hundred and sixty one miles per hour!" Autumn shouted as she jumped up and down. I couldn't believe it. "I've never gone that fast in my life! One hundred and sixty one miles per hour! Did you _see_ that? Did you see how fast I went?" She yelled excitedly.

 **:Don't break her spark yet Bro. We both know she could have gone a** _ **lot**_ **faster if she'd listened to us, but this is pretty much her first time. So let her have her fun for a few clicks…** _ **then**_ **we can tell her that if she listens to us, she'll go even** _ **faster**_ **!:** Sides sent to me.

I didn't really want to admit it, but he made a pretty good point. From what Prowl said, this _was_ her first time… and that made things a _lot_ different! I couldn't help but snicker though. A bot with a full sized frame was acting like a _sparkling_! That was when I remembered her age, and felt my energon run cold, because she was actually _acting_ her age.

 **Autumn POV**

I couldn't help it. I was _pumped_! This was one of the most incredible mornings I could ever remember having. I felt like I could outrun _anyone_!

"Did you see how fast I went? I was like _Mario Andretti_!" I squealed happily in a near shout of excitement.

That was when the gold one, Sunstreaker, crossed his arms and stared at me with one optic ridge raised. "You have a _long_ way to go before you can compare yourself to Mario Andretti, because right now you couldn't even keep him in sight."

"If you listen to us though, not only will you keep him in sight… you'll _pass_ him like he's going the other direction, and then… Mario Andretti won't even be able to eat your dust, because it will land back on the road before he even gets to where you _were_!" The red one, Sideswipe added.

I stared at those two bots in surprise. They were _really_ planning on teaching me how to drive. No… not just drive, almost everyone could do that… they were going to teach me how to drive like a _pro_!

"That was your 'frag off' lap. We expected you to screw it up, but now it's time to get serious, and learn how to _drive_. When you hit a group of four cones, that's when you let off the gas and coast. When you hit a group of three cones, you ease on the brake. Two cones, you should be at half brake. When you hit that last cone, hit the brake hard and then let off and coast through the turn. Once you get between the two cones that mark the apex, I want you to hit the throttle _hard_! I mean I want to hear those tires of yours _scream_! Got it?" Sunstreaker told me with a glare.

"But… but… I'm not a Lamborghini like you." I stammered nervously.

"We know. You'll _never_ be as fast as we are. _No one is_! Except Blur, but we didn't set those cones for _us_. We can take those turns even faster than what those cones are set for. Those cones are set up for _your_ specs, _not_ ours! They are placed with a little bit of leeway so that you can run through them with no problem even if you're a bit off on your timing. Look around!" Sideswipe told me.

"We're in the middle of a giant runway! If you miss a turn, the only thing that'll happen is you'll go outside the lines, or run over a cone. There's no walls here to crash into, and no grass or dirt to flip you. So relax, have some fun, and race like we tell you. It's not going to _kill_ you to have some fun is it?" Sideswipe asked me seriously.

Sunstreaker's engine growled when Sideswipe said that. He didn't look too happy for some reason. "N… no. At least I don't think I'll get killed while _I'm_ having fun. Someone else was always having fun whenever they tried to kill me though." I finished in a mutter.

 **Sideswipe POV**

I could the energon in my lines freeze when I heard the femme say that last part. Something told me that she wasn't joking. I remembered Prowl telling us that she survived several attempts at being offlined already, but I had thought he was exaggerating. Looks like he wasn't. That was when a _really_ nasty suspicion hit my processors. I clearly remembered seeing a broadcast the other cycle while my brother and I were watching a race on the Speed Channel. Some human had confessed about how he had _really_ slagged up his sparkling's life, and even apologized for it. Could that human have somehow been talking about Autumn? Suddenly, I knew. It hit me like a shot from one of Ironhide's cannons. Bluestreak had informed us upon arrival that Autumn had once been human. The glitched out fragger in that Primus damned broadcast had been talking about and _to_ the femme who was standing right in front of us! No slagging _wonder_ she seemed to be scared all the time.

"Well that glitched slagger won't be having fun any time soon, because _you're_ going to have some fun by driving!" Sunstreaker growled quickly.

I didn't have to ask because I knew, from the sibling spark bond that we both shared, that he had come to the same realization that I had. This was now something _very_ serious for both of us. Autumn might be having fun, and enjoying herself, but Sunny and I were going to make _slagging_ sure that when she needed to run… Autumn would know how to it _right_!


	30. Chapter 30

**Autumn POV**

I was almost dragging my pedes as I entered to quarters that I shared with Prowl. The first thing I saw was that couch, and I swear that I could almost hear it calling my name. I sat down on it and sank gratefully into those thick cushions. Oh _Primus_ was I tired! I knew that it wasn't even noon yet, but Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had made me run laps around that track of painted lines until I was hitting more than _two hundred miles per hour_ on that back stretch! I was _totally_ exhausted, but at the same time, I was so _pumped_ that I didn't want to sit still. They had me go around that track many times, and then I had to go the other direction, without those cones to guide me. I did it though. The gold one... Sunstreaker… he told me that I did _good_! They showed me how to do donuts, and spinouts. They even taught me how to do a police u-turn; by backing up really fast and then whipping my front end around and tearing off in the same direction without losing any speed. Then… then they showed me some drifting. I wasn't very good at that, but the red one, Sideswipe, told me not to worry about it, because learning how to drift takes a lot of time and practice. I knew that I had accidentally done it once, but apparently I got lucky that night.

Oh _Primus_ , but I actually _wanted_ some energon, but at the same time, I was too beat to get up and get some. The next thing I knew, Jazz was tapping on my wrist.

 **Jazz POV**

As I walked past Prowl's quarters, I noticed that the door wasn't sealed. That could only mean one of two things; either Autumn wasn't inside, or she had forgotten to lock the door when she left. I walked in after signaling, but getting no answer. The first thing I saw was that nervous femme sitting on the couch in full recharge. I sent a comm to Ratchet, and he told me to scan her. When I did, I saw that she was pretty low on energon. He hated to do it, and so did I, but Autumn needed fuel. I grabbed a trio of cubes and added zinc, silicon, and titanium to a couple of them before tapping on her wrist to wake her up.

From the way she came out of her recharge, anyone could tell that she hadn't had an easy life so far. I think if she'd had a clear shot at the door that she'd have gone for it and ran like every Con that ever existed was after her. She pressed herself back into that couch while trying to get away from me. It wasn't until I held the cube out for her that she finally _looked_ at my frame and recognized me.

"Here. Ah think ya need dis. Ya look wore out lil lady. What happened?" I asked her casually as she took the cube and I sat down next to her while making sure that there was some decent space between us.

"Prowl left me with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They've been teaching me how to drive since early this morning." She answered before slugging down that first cube in a couple of long swallows.

"Jazz you won't believe it! I was going more than _two hundred miles per hour_!"

The way her optics were brightly lit, wide and that huge grin on her face plates told me that the twins hadn't really been all that hard on her, and that she'd enjoyed it… _a lot_! That was good. This femme really needed some good memories in her processors.

"Nah!" I retorted without hesitating. "Der ain't no _way_ you can go _that_ fast!"

I was acting like I really doubted her, but I had heard some of the human soldiers on the base talking about it. They'd actually been impressed with how quick she'd picked things up. I knew the reason behind that though. She learned everything she could because she was _desperately_ trying to become someone who wasn't expendable.

"Yes I did!" She protested instantly. "I went so fast that the stripes on the runway looked like _dots_!"

As tired as she was, Autumn was still almost bouncing on the couch, and she had a seriously wide grin that almost stretched from one audio to the other. It didn't take a genius to know that she was still very excited from driving earlier, and that elated smile of hers told me a lot more than any thing she might have said.

I handed her the second cube that I'd added some minerals in, and watched her sip at it. This was an interesting thing to see. As long as she wasn't scared, or at least when she was happy, she didn't have any problem refueling, or recharging. I'd have to tell the others about that… _especially_ Ratchet. In the meantime, I needed to make sure that she continued to feel good about something she had done… because that obviously helped.

"Sounds like if ya'd had some wings, ya woulda been flyin." I told her seriously.

Autumn looked down at the cube for a second, before she looked back at me and nodded her helm. "I think I would have." She said quietly in a tone of awe.

"Going that fast on the ground in the middle of nowhere is one thing, but I don't think I want to try to fly. I think a crash like that would really, _really_ hurt!"

"Well, ah don't think ya gotta worry about Ratchet putting any wings on ya." I laughed.

"I hope not. I have enough to learn as it is." She said a bit sullenly.

"Ya don't need ta be so hard on yerself, girl. Yer getting tha hang o things. It just takes a bit o time. Most bots are several vorn old before dey even get deir youngling frame, but ya got yor adult frame right away. Dat takes some getting used too." I told her honestly.

"Maybe…" She agreed pensively.

"Well ya disappeared about noon, an here it is almost 1800 hours by human reckonin. What ya been doin this whole time?"

"When… when I got done with my driving lessons I came back here." She said before looking up at me with confusion in her optics. "I guess I fell into recharge… have I been in recharge this whole time?"

"Looks like ya have at that." I allowed. "I guess some hard work does ya good."

"I guess, but now I'll just be awake for the rest of the lunar cycle."

"In that case how about comin with me an meetin tha three bots dat just arrived?"

She looked up at me nervously. I could see her fear in the position of her wings. She obviously wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of meeting someone she didn't already know.

"Come on. Finish yer energon an ah'll take ya ta meet em. Ya ain't got a thing ta worry about, Ah've known these bots for a _long_ time. Dey're some good friends o mine, an ah'm pretty sure ya gonna like em, cause I know they'll like _you_!" I told her with a smile while offering her my servo.

 **Autumn POV**

I gulped down the energon that Jazz had given me. It was pretty good, and Primus knows I needed it, but I wasn't very sure about meeting these new bots. Look at Smokescreen; he's Blue's brother, and I'd hoped that maybe he would like me, but that had turned out all wrong.

I stood up feeling the energon flowing through my tanks, giving my frame fresh power. It felt good, and I couldn't but wonder how I was going to feel in a few breem after meeting these new bots.

I took Jazz's servo as we left Prowl's quarters, and followed him to the main hangar, and I couldn't stop my wings from flicking in all kinds of directions. They weren't hard to spot, because all three were talking with Optimus and Ironhide. That alone made me not want to go over there. I could see that all three of them are a bit taller than I am, and I could tell from they way they were standing that they knew how to fight… _good_! Jazz had shown me that, and now I was able to finally _use_ that information. Not that it would do me any good yet.

Optimus seemed nice… at least he wasn't mean to me, and Blue seemed to like him. But Ironhide… that mech scared the spark out of me. I'd only dealt with him a few times, but I knew, just _knew_ that he hated me, and wanted me offlined. Jazz led me over to the group and flashed a huge smile.

"Autumn… dis is Elita-1, she bonded ta Optimus, and Chromia is bonded ta Ironhide, an Arcee ain't bonded but she won't take slag from a mech neither." Jazz told me.

I looked at the three of them and I could feel my wings sticking straight out from my back. All three of them were about my height, but Elita was a white and rose color, where the one called Chromia was a sapphire blue. Arcee was a silver and purple color, and all three were looking at me with hard appraising optics.

 **Elita POV**

Jazz walked over to us, bringing another bot with him. I didn't need to be Perceptor to see that she was both nervous and scared. I could see that much in the position of her door wings. That alone concerned me a _lot_! Why would an Autobot be _frightened_ of meeting others in her faction? It didn't make any sense. Then I received a com signal.

 **:Go easy on er. She's a bit skittish, but she can be a good friend if she likes ya.:** ~Jazz

 **:If that's the case, then don't worry, I will.:** ~ Elita

"Autumn, that's a very unusual designation. I like it."

"My… _carrier_ named me that when I was… _sparked_." She said nervously. I could tell that she was stumbling over a couple of the words, as if they weren't quite what she meant to say.

At the point, Optimus excused himself to do something; I didn't really pay any attention to what because of what I was seeing in Autumn's wings. Fear, tension, nervousness, and even a readiness to bolt. Jazz telling me that she was skittish was one thing, but what I was seeing was something far worse. This femme looked almost like she was ready to have a _spark attack_! She was that frightened of us for some reason.

"So how long ago did you arrive on this base?" Arcee asked casually after a few moments of awkward silence.

"A- about… three… three months ago." She stammered looking like she was either about to run or start leaking from her optics.

Right then, Optimus returned bearing four cubes of energon which he passed out to us. I couldn't help but notice that the color of the energon that he gave to Autumn was somewhat different than what he gave to the rest of us. Before I could say anything, Chromia spoke up.

"Interesting color of energon… what's in it?" Chromia all but demanded.

"Gold, titanium, zinc, and silicon have been added to it." Optimus answered as he ran a single digit down Autumn's back.

" _Zinc_? That's for sparklings; bots with developing frames, or those who are recovering from _major_ repairs!" Chromia exclaimed suspiciously.

"Yes it is. Autumn is sixteen and a half terrestrial years old, and although she has her adult frame, she is less than one fourth of a vorn in age." Optimus replied calmly as he continued to stroke her back.

I almost dropped my cube of energon. I could readily see that both of the other femmes where just as shocked as I was. _Who in their right processors would bring a sparkling into this horrid war?_

Even as Arcee and I grabbed Autumn and pulled her away from Optimus with Arcee gently rubbing Autumn's wings in a method guaranteed to sooth her circuits, Chromia was advancing on Optimus with a murderous rage building up inside her. I could see the signs. Chromia was about to hit full combat mode, and lay down a level of plasma fire that had _always_ sent many times our number of Decepticons running.

I quickly started rubbing my servo around Autumn's back to help keep her calm. While Chromia continued to advance on Optimus. I didn't blame her at all. Autumn is a _sparkling_! There was no youth center here; no other femmes to help guide her, and teach her what she needed to know. She was a femme _alone_ in a swarm of mechs! _Primus_! It was no slagging _wonder_ she was frightened of meeting new bots!

"Care to tell me just who had the _brilliant_ idea of creating a sparkling here?" Chromia demanded in a hiss.

"It ain't like that! If ya will just hear me out… I can promise ya that ya'll learn the whole situation." Jazz answered quickly with his servos held up in front of him.

"You have our attention Jazz. Now _speak_!" I seethed.

"We didn't have much o a choice with Autumn. She wasn't _sparked_ … she was _born_ … as in she used ta be human. She's only been a bot for about one and a half human months, and she was changed from human to a bot by tha Allspark… or at least what was left of it. Her human sire treated er like total slag an even tried ta offline er a couple o times. We found er an brought er here after the second time. That was about a Terran week after we moved ta this base. We didn't get a choice in this!" Jazz explained quickly.

I turned to look at Autumn who was clearly frightened even with what Arcee and I were doing to keep her calm.

"Just relax Little One. You are with _us_ now, and we'll make sure that you are properly taken care of. Do you even have a place to get away from unwanted mech attention?" I asked her firmly.

 **Autumn POV**

"I… I used to have my own quarters when I was bonded to Blue… but… they… they took that bond away from me and… and now I have to stay in Prowl's quarters." I answered as best I could. I knew these new bots were _highly_ fragged off. Even though they hadn't thrown anything yet, I could tell that they were madder than I have _ever_ seen Ratchet get!

That was when I felt feeling of safety, security, and peace fill my spark. I knew that Prowl was sending me those feelings, but they weren't helping much. They way that one was rubbing my wings, and the one named Elita was rubbing my back was the only thing that kept me from running back to those quarters I shared with Prowl. That was when I saw him. Prowl was walking towards me with a fragged off look on his faceplates. I saw that, and I wanted to run, but those two new bots were holding me there. I didn't know what to do.

"Autumn, are you alright?" Prowl asked me in a surprisingly calm tone given his expression.

"She's fine, because she's with _us_ now! Not that it's any concern of yours!" The blue one growled.

"Actually Chromia, it _is_ my concern. I have established a Guardian's bond with Autumn, and I can feel her terror from across the base. She is not ' _fine_ ' as you put it. She is _frightened_!"

"How can she have a Guardian bond and a _Sparkbond_ at the same time?" Chromia snarled.

"Her inappropriate sparkbond with Bluestreak was dissolved, through use of a method that was previously unknown to us. I had been designated to be her Guardian prior to that event. Therefore, once the sparkbond was dissolved, I established a Guardian bond with her. We have attempted to raise Autumn to the best of our limited capabilities."

" _Mechs_ do not know how to raise a _femme_!" Chromia bellowed.

"What was we sposed ta do? Offline er till ya got here?" Jazz asked quietly but with a _very_ sarcastic tone.

I wasn't the only one who flinched when I heard that. The three new bots did too. Not only did they flinch, but they started pulling me away from Jazz.

"That is _not_ at all funny Jazz!" I heard Elita say from behind me.

"Yeah, well… it wasn't sposed ta be neither!"

We been takin care o Autumn as best we can. Why do ya think the Second In Command is her _Guardian_ , and the Third In Command is tha one teachin er self-defense?" Jazz said angrily. "Yeah, you heard right… _ah'm_ tha bot who's teachin er ta fight an protect erself, cause Primus knows she'll need it sooner or later. _Pit_ … Prowl's even got _Sunstreaker an Sideswipe_ teachin er how ta drive so she can use er alt mode properly when she needs ta run!"

That was when Chromia turned around to look at me. Her optics narrowed as she looked at me hard.

"Autumn…" She began in a firm but gentle tone that was _not_ going to accept any kind of a lie. "Have they been teaching you those things?"

I nodded my helm nervously. "I haven't been able to hit Jazz yet, but he's not almost ripping my wings off like Ironhide and Mirage did the first time I reported for training. Bluestreak got stuck in the brig for beating the pit out them. Ratchet was _really_ fragged off because he had to fix both of them after Blue got done. Prowl was teaching me Cybertronian history and culture… at least… I _think_ he was. I don't know anymore. Most of my memories disappeared for a while, and I could hardly remember _anything_!" I said starting to panic as I started recalling that horrible time.

"Hey! Relax lil lady. Ol Ratch get yer memories back for ya didn' he? So jus relax." Jazz told me.

"I want to know _why_ Bluestreak felt that he needed to attack his fellow mechs after her first training session!" Elita snapped.

"Jazz will answer all your questions, but before he does, Autumn needs to finish her energon." Optimus said with a stern look at me.

I tried to tell him that Jazz had already given me two cubes of it, but all that came out were the sounds of warbling chirps, whistles, and clicks.

 **Chromia POV**

Hearing the sounds of sparkling speech behind me, I turned around in surprise to see that it was Autumn who was making those sounds. I knew that she was trying to reply to the instructions that Optimus had given her, because I am one of those few Cybertronians who can still speak with sparklings by using their method of communication.

"And just when did Jazz give you those two cubes?" I asked her somewhat bluntly.

"Right… right before we came here."

I could see that Arcee and Elita were still working the femme's frame in a continuing effort to sooth her, and that it was finally helping.

"Well, you might have plenty of fuel, but you still need those other elements to help your frame develop properly." I told her gently.

Her wings rose, and the expression on her faceplates was one of such surprise that I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I can understand you perfectly, even when you speak like a sparkling. So just relax Autumn… you are in the care of capable bots now."


	31. Chapter 31

**Autumn POV**

Chromia and Arcee watched me as I drank down the cube of energon. Then Optimus nodded and smiled at me. It was weird because he only had to _stand_ there to look huge and scary. I mean… he's never done anything to me, and I don't even remember seeing him get mad… but he's _huge_! I'm over three times taller than I was as a human and he _still_ makes me look small.

"Arcee, why don't you and Chromia take Autumn somewhere private so she can relax? I don't like seeing her that tense." Elita told them before turning back to Jazz.

"While they're taking proper care of Autumn, the three of you can tell me what's been going on here… _especially_ with Autumn." Elita demanded firmly.

Arcee and Chromia started pulling me towards the area where everyone's quarters were. I didn't want to go with them. I don't know them, and I already knew that they were fragged off about something to do with me. I can't even hit Jazz yet, so how was I supposed to fight off _two_ bots at the same time, when Jazz is only one? I couldn't and I knew it!

 **:** _ **[Safety, peace, comfort, protectiveness]**_ **:** Flowed through my bond, and somehow, I could tell that it wasn't only coming from Prowl, but it was also coming from one of his siblings and being relayed through him.

"Autumn, I would like for you to accompany Arcee and Chromia. You may _relax_ they will _not_ allow you to be harmed. In fact, I believe that the odds are in favor of them being more protective of you than even Bluestreak has ever been." Prowl told me when I looked over at him.

I nodded my helm and followed the two bots nervously. I had no idea where they were going to take me. I didn't like being away from the ones I knew, because at least, I knew what to expect from them. Even if I had to watch him really, _really_ close, even being near Ironhide was better than being with a pair of strangers!

 **Arcee POV**

I could tell from the position… well _positions_ of her rapidly twitching wings that Autumn wasn't happy about going with us. We took her to a set of quarters that Optimus had informed us were unoccupied, but were also now fully furnished. Once we stepped inside, Autumn seemed to relax a little after looking around. I gently moved her to the couch where she sat down with her door wings displaying her sadness, nervousness, apprehension, and fear. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this femme to frighten her in such a way. I moved so that I was kneeling in front of her while getting ready to speak gently.

"Autumn… I need you to tell us the truth. No matter how bad you think things are, _you_ are not the one in trouble here! _They_ might be though!" Chromia said firmly beating me to the shot.

I watched in silence as Autumn tried to tell us what her life had been like up to now. She spoke softly for a long time, but I was unable to make sense of _any_ of it because she was stuttering, hesitating, and even repeating herself. She had pulled her legs up to her torso, and wrapped her arms around them. It was the closest thing I'd ever seen to a fetal position in a bot that wasn't lying down. I looked up at Chromia to see that she was experiencing the same confusion that I was. At that moment the door slid aside, and Optimus walked in with a tray. I could see three small cubes on it, but nothing else from where I was knelt down.

"Autumn… Jazz has been trying to get the opportunity to give these to you, but many things have kept coming up. He said that this is a good time for it. He would have brought them to you, but he and Prowl are busy talking with Elita, which is why he asked that I bring them." Optimus said as he set the tray down on the couch next to Autumn.

"Enjoy." He said with a smile before walking out.

"He said that Jazz gave those to him. Where in the name of Primus did Jazz get _energon treats and mineral wafers_?" Chromia demanded in surprise.

I couldn't help but agree with her question, because I knew there was no way that this base had the ability to create such things yet. I would have easily suspected him of hoarding a bit of aged high grade… but _this_?

I shook my helm to clear my processors. There was only one possible reason for Jazz to give up something like this so easily. It could only be because he actually liked Autumn; otherwise no one would ever have known that he had them, because he could easily have kept them for himself.

 **Autumn POV**

They took me to a room that was all too familiar. It was familiar because it was the room that had been mine before I was ordered to stay with Prowl. The one called Arcee took me over to the couch and I sat down with her kneeling in front of me. Then I was told to tell them about my life, and I tried. I told them about my father, how mean he always was, and how he had always hurt me. I told them about how he had killed my mother right in front of me and made me watch. I told them how Blue had found me, and how I'd finally been brought here. Then I told them about how I'd become a bot and how it had hurt more than anything I could remember. I told them everything, but I was so scared and nervous that I kept stuttering and repeating myself. Finally, I just went quiet and pulled my legs up on the couch and wrapped my arms around them.

That was when Optimus came in. I swear he's _huge_! He looks big enough and strong enough to break me in half with only one servo. He held out a tray of stuff that had three cubes of energon on it and two different kinds of other things. There were a bunch of those, and they sort of looked like little blue brownies and crackers. He put the tray next to me before walking out.

The one called Chromia wanted to know where Jazz got them. She called those things energon treats and mineral wafers. I'd never seen them before, and they looked kind of strange.

Arcee and Chromia slid a small table over in front of the couch I was sitting on, and then pulled up a couple of chairs for them to sit in. Arcee put the tray on the table and then handed Chromia a cube of energon before handing me one too.

"This one is obviously for you, but you really need to try the wafers and treats. Trust me, you'll like them." Chromia told me.

"I have yet to meet a bot that hasn't liked them." Arcee said with a smile.

I reached out and picked up one to look at it. It looked kind of like a big brownie that was bot sized instead of for humans. I took a small bite and immediately spit it out. White chocolate! _Yuck!_ I've always _hated_ white chocolate! I looked around for a trash can to put the stuff in, but didn't see anything, so I put it on the table, and downed about half the cube of energon to wash that nasty taste out of my mouth. I shuddered hard before looking at the blue crackers. If they were anything like the other ones, then I wasn't going to try them.

Chromia picked up the big chunk of treat and broke off a small piece before popping that in her mouth.

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Do you not like it?" Chromia asked me curiously.

I shook my helm. "It tastes like white chocolate, and that stuff's _gross_! I never liked that stuff when I was still human either." I answered with a frown.

"Well then try a wafer, maybe you'll like those. At least, I hope you will." Arcee suggested nicely.

I really didn't want to. Not with how that treat had tasted, but I didn't want these two bots fragged off at me either. I picked up one of the blue cracker looking things and took a small bite of it. My optics shot wide in surprise. I was sure that I wasn't going to like it, but this was _good_! It was like a mix of coconut and banana pudding, but it was hard like a cracker. Weird, but good. Before I knew it, the cracker thing was gone and I was drinking a bit more of my energon to wet my mouth a little, because that thing was dry just like a cracker.

 **Arcee POV**

 **:I know that Autumn is with you, so see if you two can get her to take in some more energon. She hasn't been refueling properly.:** ~ Ratchet

 **:I don't think that's going to be much of a problem for now. It seems that she's very fond of the mineral wafers, and she has to use energon to wash them down just like everyone else.:** ~ Arcee

 **:Where the slag did you get mineral wafers?:** ~ Ratchet

The surly tone of the medic officer was understandable right then, because such things were now hard to obtain.

 **:Optimus brought them in saying that he got them from Jazz.:** ~ Arcee

 **:There's no telling where he got them from. For all we know he could have stolen them from Megatron himself.:** ~ Ratchet

 **:Nah, Ah didn' steal em from ol Megs, but Ah** _ **did**_ **steal em from the Cons!:** ~ Jazz sent smugly. **:Ah think Wheeljack has da right stuff ta make em too. If he can, an she like em, den we got a good way ta make sure she gets a proper fuelin.:**

 **:He's in recharge right now, but I'll put him to work on that as soon as he emerges.:** ~ Ratchet

Autumn was slowly reaching for a second wafer while watching Chromia and I closely. I could almost swear that she was fully prepared to be denied further access to them. That was when Elita walked in. I could tell that she wasn't at all pleased, but as soon as she spotted Autumn, she assumed a rather cheerful attitude.

"Go ahead and take a treat Autumn. Jazz supplied those strictly for you, so they're all yours." Elita instructed gently.

"She doesn't seem to like the treats." I began.

"What? Why ever not?" Elita demanded while looking at Autumn in disbelief.

"They… they taste like… like white chocolate… and I never liked that stuff." Autumn answered hesitantly.

"You do like the mineral wafers though… don't you?" Elita asked.

Autumn simply nodded her helm.

"Then I want you to eat as many of them as you can." Elita replied with a smile.

"What… what if I eat the whole pile?" Autumn asked nervously.

"You'd probably make Jazz laugh about it." I said quickly.

"He might try to tease her a bit for it though, so if that happens Autumn, I want you to tell one of us so we can put a stop to it." Chromia added seriously.

I could see a look of absolute shock on Autumn's faceplates. It was as if she expected us to be angry at her for _wanting_ something as vital to her frame as mineral wafers. Every adult bot knew that wafers supplied essential minerals such as zinc, silicon, gold, titanium, iron, quartz, and cobalt for developing frames. They were also good for a frame that had recently undergone repairs.

"Autumn, these are for you. Jazz made _sure_ that you received them. Now if you don't like the treats, that is perfectly acceptable. However… since you like the wafers, I want you to eat as many of those as you comfortably can. If you don't eat them all, or if you do, it's fine either way. Understand?" Elita said gently, but firmly.

Autumn nodded her helm and took another wafer almost guiltily, before she looked at each of us. "Aren't you going to eat some?"

"If you would like us to, then yes, we will. However, these are for _you_ Autumn, not us. Since you don't like the treats and we do, then we'll eat those, while you enjoy the wafers." Elita smiled.

 **Elita POV**

I spent a bream or two listening to what Jazz, Prowl, and Optimus had to tell me about Autumn. The whole sad sordid truth. They even sent me a data burst of the broadcast featuring her human creator called a father. Autumn's past simply got worse the more I was told. It was certainly no surprise that she was nervous upon meeting others for the first time. After the last thing her sire had done to her, it was surprising that Autumn was still mentally functional at all. The newest bot in our ranks was going to have more problems than Red Alert, Bluestreak, and Prowl combined.

It was at that point that Jazz pulled two small packages out of a subspace compartment and handed them to Optimus.

"Hey Optamus, Give these ta Autumn will ya? I been tryin ta find a good time ta do it, but things just keep comin up. Ah think she'll like em. Ah know it ain't nuthin like she was used ta eatin as a human, but at least it's _sumthin_." Jazz explained quickly.

I watched curiously as Optimus merely nodded and left. He wouldn't do something like that unless there was a very good reason for it. I looked at Jazz and asked him about it.

"Autumn's only seen Optamus a few times. Even though he's nevah threatened her, his size still scares her. So we're tryin ta find ways for the bots ta interact with her with out scarin tha spark out o her. Last time Optamus had to deal with her, Ratch had just dissolved her sparkbond with ol Bluestreak an created a Guardian bond with Prowl. Tha loss o dat bond with Blue… it hurt her… _bad_! She even wished that she'd offlined herself before it could happen. _Physically_ it didn't affect her at all, but she relied on that bond with Blue like it was a life line. She got his opinion on _everythin_ she had ta deal with… an that includes meetin others." Jazz said heavily.

"So there's Optamus tryin ta talk to her. He wound up givin her a cube o energon that had some gold in it for her circuits. Tha humans consider that ta be a valuable metal, so it's expensive to em. Optamus held her while tryin ta talk her inta drinkin it. It was Blue dat finally convinced her." Jazz told me seriously.

"It doesn't surprise me that Optimus would try to help care for a sparkling, but why would Bluestreak need to convince her to drink a cube of energon simply because it had some gold in it?" I asked.

"Ya gotta understand somethin here Elita… Autumn thinks she's expendable. Everythin that's been done ta her has convinced her that she's _disposable_! She don't think she's worth wastin gold on. We been workin real hard ta change that, but it ain't somethin that's gonna happen fast. She wants ta be a Medic, an she's been learnin everythin she can, as fast as she can." Jazz answered.

" _That_ is going to stop! She will need to adjust to being an adult bot before she tries to learn a profession. If she's less than a fourth of a vorn in age, she'll need the opportunity to be a sparkling _first_!" I said firmly.

Suddenly Jazz smiled at me. "See? I _knew_ that you three showing up would be one of the best things that could happen for Autumn. She needs friends, and since she saw her carrier offlined when she was only a few human years in age, she will also need a femme who can act as a concerned carrier. She needs that Elita… right now she needs that a lot more than she knows." He said seriously.

I knew that Jazz was being completely honest with me, because he had actually dropped his accent. That was something that he rarely did, and because he was doing so out of concern for Autumn, told me that he and the others really _were_ trying their best to help her adjust to being among them. The fact that she had been born as a _human_ was disturbing though. I had seen humans, and their small fragile bodies with such short lives were vastly different from our own. I couldn't even _begin_ to calculate the complexity of the process needed to convert her body into a frame while preserving her memories. That was when something occurred to me.

"How was her sparkbond with Bluestreak dissolved? That's only possible when one of the two is offlined." I demanded suspiciously.

"I can tell ya… but ya ain't gonna believe me."

" _Try me_!" I replied insistently.

"Soundwave was in her processors; deletin memories all over tha place. Ah'm pretty sure he was gonna make her a slave for some reason or other, but then he must o found out that she was still a sparkling, an he restored her memories an passed a message to Ratch. He passed that message to Prowl, who then passed it ta me an Optamus. Turns out that tha reason he was able to get in her processors was because she didn have _any_ firewalls or antivirus programs. All she had was a partial memory o her human carrier ta defend her from anything bad. Once Soundwave figured out that she was still a sparkling, he made a message in her processors. That message contained tha means ta dissolve tha sparkbond, an gave us some firewalls, antivirus programs an other stuff suitable for a sparkling. Ratch has been uploadin tha stuff into her processors a bit at a time. Ratch told us that her personality crystal is split, an that there's two personalities in Autumn's processors. So far, we've only seen tha one that's damaged, with a lot o rage and despair. Tha other one is supposed ta be gentle, careing, compassionate, an lovin, but we ain't seen that one yet." Jazz told me heavily.

This information was just too much to accept all at once. My helm started to ache with the amount of unwanted information I had received. I did _not_ want to believe that _any_ of it was true… but I didn't have that luxury. Autumn needed both our presence, and our help, and for that I could only be satisfied that we three femmes had finally arrived so that we _could_ help her.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Author's Notes: The last part of this chapter will most likely slag a LOT of readers off, but the end of this chapter? THAT will most like blow a few processors! Leave a review, and tell me what you think. Go ahead and say what's on your mind…**_

 _ **I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!**_

 **Elita POV**

I left the hangar and strode to the quarters where Arcee and Chromia were getting to know Autumn. My spark was heavy as I processed the data I'd received. I entered the quarters which were to be assigned to Arcee, since Chromia and I both had spark mates that we would share with.

Autumn didn't appear to have calmed down much from when I'd first seen her. At least now I understood why she was so… so… _skittish_! Hopefully, that could be changed.

"Go ahead and take a treat Autumn. Jazz supplied those strictly for you, so they're all yours." I instructed gently.

"She doesn't seem to like the treats." Arcee began.

"What? Why ever not?" I demanded while looking at Autumn in disbelief.

"They… they taste like… like white chocolate… and I never liked that stuff." Autumn answered hesitantly.

"You do like the mineral wafers though… don't you?" I asked.

Autumn simply nodded her helm.

"Then I want you to eat as many of them as you can." I replied with a smile.

"What… what if I eat the whole pile?" Autumn asked nervously.

"You'd probably make Jazz laugh about it." Arcee said quickly.

"He might try to tease her a bit for it though, so if that happens Autumn, I want you to tell one of us so we can put a stop to it." Chromia added seriously.

Autumn looked shocked at that. It was as if she didn't expect anyone to help her in any way. There was so much to be fragged off about when it came to Autumn, but there was no use in it. The cause of her problems had offlined himself. It left us to clean up the total mess he'd made by somehow building a sense of self worth in Autumn. Such a thing would not be easily accomplished, but I knew that it was possible.

"Autumn, these are for you. Jazz made _sure_ that you received them. Now if you don't like the treats, that is perfectly acceptable. However… since you like the wafers, I want you to eat as many of those as you comfortably can. If you don't eat them all, or if you do, it's fine either way. Understand?" I instructed her in a gentle but firm tone.

Autumn nodded her helm and took another wafer almost guiltily, before she looked at each of us. "Aren't you going to eat some?"

"If you would like us to, then yes, we will. However, these are for _you_ Autumn, not us. Since you don't like the treats and we do, then we'll eat those, while you enjoy the wafers." I answered with a light smile.

I sat down next to her on the couch, and began to softly stroke her back and doorwings. As I understood the situation, Autumn was a mere sparkling, but in an adult frame. It would easily cause others mistake her for an adult, as well as expect adult actions and responses from her. That was going to be corrected. I knew without a doubt that Chromia would be the first to defend and help Autumn in any circumstances. The sparkling chatter that Autumn had used earlier guaranteed that. Chromia was one of the few bots who was still able to communicate with sparklings after gaining her adult frame, and she was good with them as well. Her knowledge and skills were going to be invaluable with Autumn.

I quickly sent them everything I had learned about Autumn, and it was a good thing that the young femme was looking down at that moment, because both Arcee and Chromia went stiff in anger as they processed the information.

 **Jazz POV**

I walked in the quarters that Arcee had been assigned with five cubes of energon. None of them had any additives in them because Autumn had already gotten plenty, so these were just regular mid-grade. I knew that Autumn had already had four cubes, but given the way she wasn't refueling or recharging properly, she needed it. She'd probably be active for a good long while after this one, but her developing systems needed the fuel.

"Hey dere Lil Lady! How ya doin?" I asked her grinning.

 **:Hang tight and let me talk ta her for a minute or two. Ah'll see if Ah can get her ta loosen up some.:** I sent to the three femmes.

They didn't say anything in response but I did get back three silent acknowledgments.

"Okay so far. They want me to eat all these cracker looking things that Optimus brought in. He said that you sent them, and… and now they want me to eat all of it." Autumn said nervously with a couple of gestures at the three femmes.

"Well Ah did send em in for ya. Ya like em don't ya?" I asked her nicely.

"These are great…" She said holding up one of the wafers. "but those other ones taste like white chocolate… and… and I don't… don't like white chocolate." She finished almost in a whisper.

"Well, now Ah know how 'white chocolate' tastes. Ya like tha wafers though, right? What do they taste like?"

"Sort of like banana pudding with coconut in it. Those are good." Autumn answered with a shrug.

"Well if they're so good then why do ya gotta problem eatin all of em like these ladies want ya to?"

"Because they're yours. I'd get in trouble for being greedy." Autumn answered plaintively.

"Nah! Dey ain't mine no more. I gave those to ya, so ya'd be able ta enjoy em." I said smiling.

"This is… this is Arcee, Chromia, and Elita… can… can I share these with them?" Autumn asked hesitantly.

I just had to laugh. "Lil Lady… Ah've known these three longer than ya can imagine. They been friends o mine for _thousands_ o years… hundreds o vorn as a matter o fact. So Ah got no problem with ya sharing with em." I told her easily.

I watched as Autumn divided the treats into four piles and then added some wafers to those piles. She kept some of the wafers for herself, but none of the treats.

"Autumn… that is _not_ how you share!" Elita said sternly as she reached out and moved some of the wafers back to Autumn's pile. She took some from each of the piles until they all had the same number of goodies in them. Except the ones in front of Autumn were all wafers. "You may not like the treats, but _we_ do, so don't think that you are giving us something that isn't as good as what you are keeping for yourself, because the opposite is actually true. Anyone else would try to keep all the treats for themselves."

"But… but… I don't like those." Autumn tried to protest.

"Autumn, mineral wafers are very common to us, because they are easy to make. Energon treats are not so easy to manufacture, so they are much more valuable and expensive. You have given us something better than what you are keeping for yourself." Arcee told her gently.

"Are… are you _sure_?" Autumn still tried to protest.

"Look Lil Lady… ya might think ya got tha better end o tha deal, but ain't no other bot gonna think that. Ya just gave _us_ tha good stuff while ya kept the dregs for yaself. At least, thas how any other bot is gonna see it." I told her seriously.

"You need to relax Autumn, and stop being so nervous around us." Arcee said lightly.

"I brought ya some more energon ta wash them things down with. Even brung some for tha rest of us too." I said in my typical easy going tone.

It was almost uncanny to see her brighten up the way she did. I guess seeing someone she knew and liked helped her a bit. That was something I'd be sure to remember, because it'd be a good way to get Autumn to spend time with other bots.

"Thank you." Autumn answered with a nervous glance at the femmes.

I passed out the cubes with a grin, before taking one myself. I grabbed a chair from the table and sat down in it with the back facing the small group. I leaned forward, put my arms on the back of it, and smiled over at Autumn.

"So Lil Lady… what do ya think o mah friends?" I asked her.

"They seem like nice bots." She said quietly.

"Give em a bit o time. They just got here, so they ain't had a chance ta get settled in yet." I told her.

"I certainly wasn't expecting to meet someone so young when we arrived, so that's a surprise, but it's a very good surprise if you ask me." Arcee with a smile at Autumn.

 **Autumn POV**

These three femmes were a lot different from the others I had met. They seemed nice and friendly like Jazz. I'm not sure why, but I think I'm going to like them. Jazz liked them, and he even said that they were good friends of his.

I felt my wings telling me that the door moved, and I looked over to see Ironhide walk in with a big grin on his faceplates. I couldn't help but remember the last time I'd had to deal with him. I wound up in surgery, and Blue got thrown in the brig. I shrank back in fear because I knew that there was no way I could fight him.

That's when the one called Chromia got up. Her optics were almost white, and she looked so fragged off that it scared the slag out of me. She stepped over to the big black mech and slugged him… _hard_! He hit the ground with a huge crash, and then she pulled him to his pedes before she hit him again. He flew back and hit the floor so hard I felt the couch shake!

Then Chromia pulled Ironhide to his pedes again and growled at him. If they hadn't been between me and the door I would have run, but I couldn't. I was trapped!

"Autumn… I'm sorry. I didn't know that you are as young as you are, but that isn't an excuse for what I did. I shouldn't have put you in an ambush situation without finding out what you know about fighting first. I was wrong, and I'm sorry." Ironhide said to me before he turned and left the room.

All I could do was gape at the closing door where he had been. I guess I looked like a gold fish with my optics as wide as they'd go, and my mouth opening and closing because I couldn't figure out what to say as I looked over at Chromia.

"Whether you accept his apology or not, doesn't matter, because I will make _sure_ that he never does anything like that to you or anyone else again!" Chromia said angrily before she sat back down in her chair.

I pulled my legs back up on the couch and put my helm on my knees. "I'm sorry."

I looked up as my doorwings pinged, just in time to see Chromia lunge up out of her chair to grab my helm and hold it so that I was looking in her optics.

"Understand one thing here Autumn… _you_ have absolutely _nothing_ to be sorry for! You did as you were told, and you did your best. _You_ are not to blame for his actions… _he_ is! I know that Hide loves sparklings and younglings. He loves interacting with them and even playing with them. If he had stopped for one instant and _thought_ about things, then he would have realized how young you are, and he wouldn't even have _thought_ of doing what he did! He had his chance, and he blew it. That's why Jazz is teaching you now… and if you like we can show you a few things too." Chromia said sternly but she finished in a nice voice.

That's when I felt my wings getting rubbed, and it felt _wonderful_! I looked over to see that Elita was doing it.

"We may not have known that you would be here Autumn, but that doesn't mean that we aren't going to watch over you. You deserve a chance to be happy… _all_ bots your age do! We aren't your carrier, and we will not try to take her place in your spark, but we _will_ try to take care of you just as she would do if she were here." Elita told me softly.

I couldn't help it; I started crying. Elita pulled me closer and let me cry on her frame. Arcee and Chromia started rubbing my back and wings while I cried. I don't know how long they held me while I was having a sob fest, but I was pretty sure that it was more than a couple of bream before I stopped.

"Come on. Let's go back to the main hangar and see if the tarmac is free. If it is, you can show us what the twins taught you this morning." Elita told me.

I nodded my helm and got up and left with them.

 **Galloway POV**

I'd been informed that afternoon that three more of those damned robots had arrived on Earth. That meant that almost two dozen of those _things_ were now here on Earth. Oh, I knew very well where this was going. They were planning to take control of this planet with a slow and subtle invasion. That isn't going to fly… not on my watch, and not while _I_ have anything to say about it! This is _exactly_ the reason that I pushed to get assigned to this position. These alien robots think they can do whatever they want just because some of them have been around longer than our civilization. They come to _our_ planet, bringing their war which has already destroyed their world, and now they come here to threaten _our_ lives while planning to do the same to _our_ world! Well that's _not_ going to happen!

They are robots; machines, and if they think they are getting away with this, they're dead wrong. I know what they're up to, and I will put a stop to it. They want to come to this planet, fine; but if they think for one split second that any of them are getting a free ride, they have another thing coming! Just like every other stupid machine on this planet, they _will_ do as they are told, or they can be broken up and melted down for scrap!

I requisitioned a chopper to take me to Diego Garcia where their so called 'base' was located. That was my doing actually. It's not a base, it's really just a big prison to keep those damned robots in one place where they can be wiped out at a moment's notice. An isolated island out in the middle of nowhere, and all it would take is one nuke. There won't be enough left of those stupid things to fill a coffee mug.

These things may have managed to ingratiate themselves into being granted asylum, but I'm not fooled one bit! Inhabitable planets are few and far between, which means that these things are here for one reason… _Earth_! Not if I can help it. I will treat these stupid things exactly like what they are… simple minded _machines_ that can't really think for themselves. All they have is some very sophisticated operating systems and advanced technology, but that won't do them one bit of good because _I_ can and _will_ stop them in their tracks!

As soon as the chopper touched down on the tarmac, I was out of it, and heading for the hangar that was so graciously donated for them to live in. That wasn't good enough for them. Oh no… they have to have _special quarters and furniture_ along with a lot of other specially built items. It's ridiculous! _They are machines_! Give them a damned tune up and be done with it!

I walked in to the hangar to see some of those idiotic robots standing around talking. Like they have anything to say that's worth listening to. I climbed the stairs that have to be used in order to speak to these stupid things face to face, and turned to face their so called 'leader'.

"It seems that you have more of your _robots_ coming to Earth. Well where are they? They need to be catalogued and documented for the records. I don't know how you ran things on your planet, but it _obviously_ failed because you are now on ours!" I told it flatly.

That _thing_ had the gall to put its hands on its hips like it was actually running things!

"The three femmes who arrived today are currently spending time with Autumn." It told me. "I believe that they will be here soon."

"What's a 'femme'?" I demanded.

"A femme is the equivalent of one of your females." It said.

"Look… let's get one thing straight. You are allowed to stay on this planet to kill the Decepticons, _not_ to raise a family! Do I make myself clear?" I said as I started getting angry.

"Your position on matters is perfectly clear Director." It replied.

Just then, four of the robots walked in. All I had to do was _look_ at them and I could tell that these were the so called 'femmes' who would probably start spitting out little machines any minute now. Then I recognized one of them.

"What the hell is _that_ still doing here?" I bellowed pointing at the green robot. "That thing was supposed to be _disposed_ of!" I yelled before turning to face that robot.

"You can forget any plans you might have because as of right now, your free ride is _over_! You are going to start pulling your weight around here or you can be broken down into spare parts… is that clear?"

I had a lot more to say to that bastardized offspring of a moronic toaster oven, but I didn't get the chance. It burst out _crying_ like it actually had _emotions and feelings_ , which everyone knows is a huge load of bull! Then that thing ran out of the hangar, transformed into some kind of sports car and took off.

I bolted down the catwalk and jumped in a car that these robots were using for their scans. This one was just like the one that the robot was using so I knew I could keep up with it. I wasn't finished with what I had to say, and that damned thing was going to listen to me or it could be melted down.

I chased that thing out past the edge of the tarmac, and up to the bluffs where it finally transformed and stood staring at me with an expression of fear on its metal face. Like that was going to stop me. I got out of the car, ignoring the sounds of various Hummers and other vehicles sliding to a stop nearby, and began storming up to this idiotic waste of metal.

Before I could say anything, a large dark purple colored robot with a strange purple insignia emblazoned on its chest stood in front of me with some kind of glowing cannons on its arms pointing at me. There were two robotic birds of some kind glaring at me from its shoulders, and a _huge_ robotic panther in between it and the one I intended to berate.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't care! Get out of my way _now_! That thing is going to do as it is told or get melted down…" I began before I was yanked backwards by the collar of my suit jacket.

"Director, I _strongly_ suggest that you shut up before you get a funeral; which will have to be a closed casket because there won't be _anything_ left of you to put in it!" Captain Lennox whispered urgently. "That is a _Decepticon_!"

"Designation; Soundwave. Protection of Autobot Autumn; paramount!"


	33. Chapter 33

**Ratchet POV**

I was in the hangar when that slagger Galloway started yelling at Autumn. He didn't get to yell very much before she started crying and took off. The thing is he chased after her, but then so did most of the base. I had to give credit to those femmes though. They were right behind Galloway, and giving him a _strong_ run for his credits! They may not have the alt modes to keep up with that particular model, but they were sure doing a fine job of it. I wasn't able to keep up with them, but I wasn't far behind either. I caught up with everyone just in time… at least… I _think_ it was just in time.

"Designation; Soundwave. Protection of Autobot Autumn; paramount!"

Soundwave… the one mech I did _not_ want to face in battle. That telepathy of his meant that he could potentially know every move you were _planning_ to make _before_ you made it!

Galloway started backing up slowly while Soundwave kept those cannons pointed straight at him. The strange part was that the Decepticon seemed to be ignoring more than a dozen bots who were aiming their cannons at him.

"Further antagonizing of Autobot Autumn; discouraged." Soundwave stated in a monotone voice that somehow managed to convey a dangerously cold menace.

Galloway continued to back up and Soundwave continued to keep those high powered and charged cannons aimed straight at him.

I couldn't help it. I looked past the Decepticon at Autumn, only to see her stooping down to pick up _Ravage_! She held that large example of a Cybercat the same way a human would a house cat. She was completely ignoring everything else that was going on around her. That's when I heard it. Ravage was giving off a loud rumbling purr that was somehow soothing to Autumn.

As soon as they were a considerable distance away, Capt. Lennox grabbed Galloway and shoved him in the passenger side of a Hummer, before jumping in the driver's seat and leaving. Once Galloway had left visual range, Soundwave who had maintained his aim, put his cannons away.

That was when the Decepticon turned to face Autumn. "Unit Ravage assigned to stay with Autobot Autumn. Purpose; protection."

Autumn looked up at that. She looked Soundwave straight in his visor with disbelief on her faceplates. "You mean I can keep him?"

"Ravage; femme Cybercat. Continued possession by Autobot Autumn; affirmative." Soundwave replied before turning to Optimus.

Then I saw something I would never have thought possible. Autumn, who was surrounded by bots who were pointing charged weapons in her general direction, smiled happily.

"Designation Soundwave; reporting." The bot said as he held out his wrists.

I saw Prowl step forward and place friction cuffs on Soundwave, before looking at Autumn. I don't know what he sensed from his Guardian Bond with her, but whatever it was made him start escorting Soundwave to the brig while leaving Autumn to hold Ravage like a human femme with a kitten.

 **Autumn POV**

I couldn't believe it! It was a giant metal _kitty_! It was in my arms, and purring just like I'd always imagined a kitty would. Okay, so maybe this one was a lot different from the cats I'd seen as a human. Still… this one was in my arms, not trying to get down, and not trying to run away either. So she already had a name, which is Ravage, and that means I don't get to name her, but still… I was told that I could _keep_ her! I felt so special that I couldn't help but smile as I looked down at her.

I don't remember walking back to the base, or to my room in the quarters that I shared with Prowl. What I do know is that someone was calling my name, and I looked up from Ravage to see the three femmes and Prowl standing there watching me. I looked down at Ravage who was laying in my lap as I sat on my berth with my wings splayed against the wall, and my back resting against it, before I looked back up at them.

"Autumn, are you doing alright?" Chromia asked me.

I nodded my helm and smiled. "I've got a kitty!" I exclaimed happily.

All of the femmes looked worried, and I couldn't tell what Prowl was feeling because he looked as impassive as usual. It made me a little nervous to see all of them looking at me like that.

"Autumn, Ravage is not a ' _kitty_ '. She is a Cybercat, and one of Soundwave's symbionts. She can be quite dangerous in combat when pitted against a fully trained bot. With your level of training, and the fact that you currently have no weapons systems, she would have no problem rendering you offline." Prowl warned me.

"But Prowl… look at her. She's _cute_! She's a big bot sized kitty!" I protested quickly.

"Autumn, Prowl is right you know. Ravage can be _very_ dangerous, and I don't want to see you damaged or offlined." Arcee told me gently but in a serious tone.

That was when I knew; they didn't want me to have Ravage with me. I was spark broken. My father never let me have a cat or a dog or _anything_ when I was human, and now I wasn't going to be allowed to keep Ravage. I was ready to start crying when Ravage raised up and used the top of her helm to bump the bottom of my chin and get my attention. I looked down at her for a moment before looking back up at the others. As soon as I did, Ravage pressed against my chin and kept pushing. She wanted me to pet her some more, so I did.

 **Prowl POV**

Soundwave was escorted to the brig immediately. It was strange in that he didn't offer the slightest resistance. I would have expected otherwise. As the two of us passed through the main hangar, Captain Lennox was speaking in hushed hurried tones to Director Galloway. Suddenly Soundwave stopped and turned his helm to face the two humans.

"Theodore Roosevelt Galloway; residence 1255 Monument Avenue; divorced; wife age 39; two children; daughter age 12; daughter age 9; canine, male, age 4.5 years, name, Sirocco. Continued provocation of Autobot Autumn… _ill advised_!" Soundwave stated before walking straight towards the brig.

I didn't inform Soundwave of the route to the brig, but then I didn't need to either. No doubt he had scanned the information for some bot's mind. We had entered the brig facility but I had not yet placed the mech in a cell, when Optimus called us to halt.

"I would like to know why you are here, Soundwave." Optimus said politely.

"Autobot Autumn, final creation of now destroyed Allspark. Protection of said creation; ensured safety; paramount. Autobot Tactician Prowl possessed of Guardian Bond with Autobot Autumn; emotional stabilization capabilities, inadequate." Soundwave stated.

I felt my doorwings sink to a low position on my back. I knew with absolute certainty that he was correct. Autumn tended to function according to her emotions which were varied, mixed, and often a very confusing tangle; where I greatly preferred to function according to absolute logic. In most situations responding logically would be of immense benefit… but not with Autumn. I had discovered that utilizing pure logic would only frighten her, and eliciting that particular emotional response from her was not desirable. I am reluctant to make the admission, but I can see no other alternative… I am not a suitable Guardian for Autumn. That it has taken Soundwave, a Decepticon, to illustrate this to me is painful to admit. However, I must not allow my personal limitations to affect the processor stability of others.

"Sir, I must inform you that Soundwave is correct in this instance. I am not capable of providing proper emotional stability for Autumn." I told Optimus.

"Ideally, this task should befall either Jazz or Chromia. Both are logical choices. Jazz because of his command experience, rather exuberant nature, and because of his friendship with Autumn. Chromia would also be a logical choice because she is a femme as is Autumn, and therefore both would be able to relate to each other on those terms, plus the vast prior experience that Chromia possesses with sparklings would be a distinct advantage in her dealings with Autumn." I supplied factually.

"Prowl, I don't think it's…" Optimus began before he was interrupted.

"Negative! Maintenance of current Guardian Bond; required. Symbiont Ravage currently providing emotional distraction for Autobot Autumn. Secondary instructions; provide protection." Soundwave stated.

" _What_?" I demanded as I turned to Soundwave. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that Ravage is going to distract Autumn from what she is feeling?"

"Affirmative. Autobot Autumn; feels insecure, isolated, and despondent. Symbiont Ravage provide distraction from such feelings of inadequacy. Physical intervention used when necessary." Soundwave told me.

"You believe that Ravage is capable of distracting Autumn from her fear?" I asked intently.

I was reluctant to admit that such a thing was possible. Although I was also forced to admit that if any bot was able to perceive the emotional state of another bot, it would be Soundwave. Taking his telepathic abilities into account, along with his rather _blatant_ threats to Director Galloway in Autumn's defense, plus his restoration of Autumn's mental faculties was a strong indication that he actually intended to help her. The probability that he was concerned and wanted to help Autumn was more than ninety-nine percent, with the decimal having so many places that my battle computer didn't bother to finish the calculations. Had he intended to have her used as an unwilling sparkling factory for the Decepticons, he would not have removed the slave gestalt programming, nor would he have restored her memories.

"Affirmative. Autobot Autumn; previously human femme. Many human femmes; emotionally intrigued by Terrestrial felines. Symbiont Ravage; resembles Terrestrial feline. Immediate emotional attachment confirmed." Soundwave told me.

That statement was far too logical to be denied, however, there _was_ a qualifier. That one word did not necessarily mean that the term 'many' would apply to Autumn. As I concentrated on my bond with her, I sensed a form of contentment and even _happiness_ that I had not previously felt from her. That alone was encouraging, but concerning as well. Ravage was well known to be fully sentient, and therefore capable of independent thoughts and actions. It was possible that Ravage might have some objections to Autumn's affectionate attitude towards her.

 **Arcee POV**

I watched in stunned silence as Autumn picked up none other than Ravage. I knew that Autumn had the frame of an adult, but she was merely a sparkling in an adult's frame. Ravage had a well deserved reputation for being very deadly in battle. She never took prisoners, and unfortunately, she rarely left her victims alive.

Then, I just about blew my processors when Ravage started _purring_! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Ravage of all bots seemed to be deliberately keeping Autumn's attention. Although at the moment, I have to say that it's a good thing too. There were enough cannons pointed at the mech in front of Autumn to make _any_ bot stiff with fear! When you consider that Autumn is in fact a sparkling, she would be paralyzed and probably worsen the rather tense situation by screaming hysterically. _Any_ sparkling would be screaming in terror in that situation, but not Autumn. Oh no… she was ignoring _everything_ that was going on around her, because she was far too preoccupied with cooing at Ravage like that Cybercat was _the_ cutest thing she'd ever set optics on.

The next thing I heard was something I could _not_ believe! Soundwave turned to Autumn and told her that Ravage was going to stay with her. The excitement displayed by Autumn was surprising. She was thrilled when Soundwave confirmed that she was to keep the Cybercat. She looked down at Ravage and didn't look up for any reason. Even when she walked all the way back to base, and to her quarters, she never looked up from Ravage.

I stood waiting outside the quarters shared by Prowl and Autumn with Elita and Chromia right beside me. Both of them were very concerned about the fact that Ravage was with Autumn… _alone_! It was several minutes before Prowl arrived, and we went inside. Prowl headed straight for Autumn's room, and there I saw something I never wanted to see in my entire function. Although she had her adult frame, Autumn was a sparkling, and that sparkling was sitting propped against the wall with Ravage in her lap stroking and petting that Cybercat as if there was no danger at all.

Chromia asked if she was alright, and Autumn simply nodded in response. Then Prowl warned her that Ravage was potentially dangerous, and Autumn actually protested. That was when I voiced my warning although I tried to be gentle about it, because I didn't want her damaged. I wasn't at all surprised to see her looking very hurt because she wouldn't be allowed to keep Ravage with her. You could have knocked me over with a venting of air when Ravage actually _distracted_ her from her sadness!

 **Prowl POV**

It seems that Soundwave is correct in his assessment of Autumn's mental status. Not only does she seem to be entranced by the Cybercat currently in her possession, but Ravage also seems to be responding to her emotional state, and fully capable of ensuring that she does not remain in a fearful or depressed condition.

"Autumn…" I began, and waited until she looked up at me. "Ravage will not be removed from your possession at this time. _However_ … Ravage is not only to remain with you at all times, _but_ you must also have another bot with you at all times as well. Is that understood?" I might need to accept the Cybercat's presence, but that did _not_ mean that I was going to place Autumn at any risk while doing so.

"I'll stay with her. Until I have to recharge at least." Arcee volunteered.

"You and I can relieve each other. I will also stand watch for her." Chromia said as she looked at Arcee.

"Then it seems that the three of us will be working together on this once again. One of us will be with Autumn at all times. Ravage will simply have to deal with _us_ if she wishes to cause any type of trouble." Elita added quickly.

 **:** _ **Excitement, hope, happiness.:**_

Those were the emotions that I could feel coming from Autumn as she heard those statements. Suddenly, I was postulating the possibility that Soundwave was telepathically monitoring Autumn's emotional state, and instructing Ravage to act as needed to prevent unwanted emotions from affecting Autumn's behavior. It seemed a likely possibility, but I didn't have enough information for my battle computer to calculate the odds.

"Very well, since this seems to have become a femme issue… are there any arrangements or accommodations that need to be made?" I asked Elita.

"I don't believe so. But Autumn might not appreciate being watched while she is recharging." Elita said after thinking about it.

"That is a distinct possibility. There are few sparklings of Autumn's development who are willing to have their privacy taken from them." I replied to Elita before turning to Autumn.

"Autumn, I am giving you a choice. You may keep Ravage with you during recharge, but if you choose to do so, then you will be observed by a bot who is _not_ in recharge. I will ensure that it is one of these femmes who are with you while you recharge, but you will not be left alone while in Ravage's company. So, the question is, do you wish to keep Ravage with you during recharge?" I asked her.

 **Autumn POV**

I stopped petting Ravage and looked up at Prowl. He looked so serious, but then, he _always_ looked like that. The three femmes looked a bit worried and concerned and I could tell that they didn't want me to have Ravage at all. I knew that Ravage wasn't going to do anything to me, because she liked me. I looked down at Ravage and started to scratch around her audials as I thought about what I was being asked. I _really_ didn't like the thought of someone watching me while I recharged… but then, something told me that Ravage would make sure that they didn't do anything to me. She would protect me.

"I… I'd like to keep Ravage with me." I stammered.

Prowl nodded his helm. "Very well Autumn. Ravage will remain in your care. You have had a rather eventful day cycle, therefore I am suggesting that you prepare to recharge."

"If she has to stay with me all the time, does that mean I have to take her into the wash rack with me too? Cats don't like getting wet." I told them without taking my optics off Ravage.

"No Autumn. You will not be taking Ravage into the wash rack with you. However, you will need to utilize the wash rack in your former quarters, which have now been assigned to Arcee, so that an optic may be kept on Ravage while you attend to cleaning your frame." Prowl answered.

I nodded my helm as firmly as I could. I didn't want them to take Ravage away from me, and it seemed like they were ready to do that.

"Then I'll go take a shower right now."

Arcee nodded and smiled at me. The other two femmes stayed behind with Prowl. I carried Ravage with me the whole way to my old quarters. When I got there I put Ravage on the bed, and stepped into the room with the private wash rack. I got clean as fast as I could, and when I stepped into the main room, Ravage and Arcee were giving each other dirty looks. Without saying anything I picked up Ravage and went back to my room in Prowl's quarters.

When I got there Prowl, Chromia, and Elita were sitting in the living room talking. I didn't say anything to interrupt them and went and lay on my berth. Ravage adjusted so that she was lying with her back legs straddling my pelvis, while her front paws were on the berth just under my armpits. That's when Arcee dimmed the lights.

I tried to sit up but Ravage had magnetized her front paws to the metal in my berth. I couldn't break that bond, so I was stuck where I was. I scratched Ravage around her audials and slowly slid into recharge.


	34. Chapter 34

**Autumn POV**

 _My father stood there looking haggard as usual, but something was different. Taking a step backwards I noticed he held an old black chain in his hands. My blood turned cold and I backed up, my back slamming against my door. His muddy brown eyes locked on mine, oily brown hair flung everywhere haphazardly._

" _I see you're home. Finally come back from your romp you little slut?" Disgust and anger rushed through me. How dare he? He took a step closer and my blade suddenly whipped out. I held it in front of me shakily and silently dared him to take a step closer. He glanced from the knife to me and suddenly started laughing._

" _You think_ _that_ _fazes me? I've killed people, and you're no different from others in my book." Suddenly he dropped the chains and pulled out a huge gutting knife. My own small knife clattered to the ground as fear swept through me._ _He... he wouldn't... would he?_ _As if reading my expression his cold laughter echoed around me._

 _"Oh I will do it. You're pathetic! Just like your slut of a mother." Angry tears blurred my vision as I stared up at the man I was forced to call father._

 _Suddenly, Ravage was there! She was driving him back and snarling at him. I couldn't believe it; no one ever helped me. I turned to bolt out the door._

" _Go! My father snapped as he shoved me towards the front door. I knew what was coming. I wanted to scream at him so much, but I couldn't make a single sound. As I got inside, I turned around to see a bullwhip in his hands. His wrist flicked towards me, and the bullwhip did the same._

 _Instead of hitting me, the whip hit Ravage! A long welt appeared on her side, and it began leaking energon. I knew she was bleeding but I didn't know how to help her. My father swung the whip at me again, but Ravage blocked that one too. Then her tail wrapped around me and shoved me out the front door._

 _I didn't know what to do. Every time my father went to do something to me… every time he was going to hit me, Ravage stopped him! Sometimes she would even get hurt while protecting me. I didn't like that at all, but there wasn't anything I could do about it._

 _Then, I was staring at the painted lines on the tarmac as I slowly went around that turn. Then Sunstreaker was telling me to floor it, and I hesitated but I started accelerating hard. Then one of them was telling me to hit the brakes. I noted my speed and kept right on going. I transformed and started jumping up and down. I couldn't believe it. I had hit One Hundred and sixty one miles per hour! I'd never gone that fast in my life, and now I was doing it on my own! It was incredible! That's when I saw some of the soldiers giving each other high fives and grinning like they had bet on a winning driver at a race. I saw Ravage there too, and she was grinning at me too. This was amazing! I was so excited that I couldn't help the smile that plastered itself on my faceplates as I jumped up and down. Then I noticed Prowl near the back of the hangar, he'd been watching too. He nodded his helm to me and I felt even taller than that Optimus bot!_

 _This time I was in the main hangar. I was training with Jazz. He was teaching me how to fight. I was trying my hardest, but I still couldn't hit him. The weird thing is, he was still grinning at me._

" _Ya know why ya can't hit meh Lil Lady?" He asked me with his grin getting wider._

" _Why?" I huffed._

" _Cause Ah ain't lettin ya! When ya finally do hit meh, you'll know ya done it for real!"_

 _I heard a weird coughing noise and looked to see Ravage there, watching. Somehow, I knew that she was watching over me, ready to protect me in a sparkbeat._

 **Prowl POV**

I knew when Soundwave released Autumn to her natural recharge which would be ending soon. Along with her, he also released Ravage and I from his telepathic control. I was standing outside his cell glaring at him. I knew that he had altered a great many of Autumn's actual memories to create what I had seen.

"Why did you do that?" I demanded.

"Autobot Autumn possesses very few pleasant memories. Therefore, unpleasant memories needed alteration. Unit Ravage acted independently during altered memories." Soundwave told me flatly.

"Am I to understand that Ravage _chose_ to take that damage in order to protect Autumn?"

"Affirmative. Unit Ravage only assigned to protect Autobot Autumn from physical damage. Protection from emotional damage; done by choice of Unit Ravage."

"So Ravage is actually going to help Autumn?" I asked in clarification.

"Affirmative. Unit Ravage enjoys attention and affections of Autobot Autumn. Unit Ravage chooses to maintain those affections."

"Does Ravage _return_ those affections?" I asked bluntly.

"Affirmative. Unit Ravage enjoys unbiased attention of Autobot Autumn. Condition; never before experienced by Unit Ravage. Unit Ravage wishes to maintain current attitude of Autobot Autumn. Therefore protection was provided." Soundwave said in that emotionless monotone of his.

"Are you saying that Autumn is the _only_ bot who's ever accepted Ravage?" I asked suspiciously.

"Affirmative. Autobots and Decepticons hostile to Unit Ravage. Autobot Autumn's reaction to Unit Ravage; unique. Myself, other Symbionts accept Unit Ravage. No one else, until now."

That was when I knew that a very strange but formidable relationship was being formed between Autumn, and Ravage. Ravage would fiercely protect the only bot who actually liked her. Soundwave and his two remaining symbionts didn't count, because they were a single unit, like family… but Autumn… her enthusiastic affection for the deadly Cybercat obviously made a difference in Ravage's processors. The odds of Ravage jeopardizing a relationship outside her family unit were infinitesimally low. When my battle computer hit sixteen digits of nothing but zeros, I shut off the process before it could finish. There was no use in considering that possibility any further.

 **Autumn POV**

When I onlined, Ravage was right there. Right where she'd been the whole lunar cycle while I was in recharge. As soon as my optics came online, that long metal glossa of hers was making its way up my cheek. I smiled at her and scratched around her audials. I remembered how she had protected me… even in my dreams. I felt… I felt better than I could remember. Somehow, I had actually recharged the whole lunar cycle. I didn't keep coming online every couple of bream, and staying that way for a jour. Believe it or not, but I actually _wanted_ a cube of energon! It was weird, because I usually didn't want one until I had warnings in my HUD for a while.

I tried to sit up, and found that I could, because Ravage wasn't stuck to the berth like she had been. I gathered her in my arms and looked over at Arcee.

"Is… is it okay if I go get some energon?" I asked her. Arcee looked at me like I had just asked her if she wanted to be painted in rainbow colors.

"Of _course_ that's okay! Why wouldn't it be? You need that energon to maintain your frame properly. I will also find out if Wheeljack can start making those mineral wafers as well." She answered with a smile.

She motioned for me to walk with her, and I did, I held Ravage in my arms the whole way there. When we got to the rec room, I walked up to the dispenser and grabbed two cubes before anyone could say anything. Then I went to sit down. I put the two cubes on the table, and Ravage in my lap. I tried to give her one of the energon cubes but she kept using her muzzle to push it towards me. Finally I got the hint. She wasn't going to take any energon until I had mine first. I downed the cube in a couple of long chugs. Like an overly hot human gulping down cool water.

 **Arcee POV**

I had been watching Autumn and Ravage from the start. I have to say that it's strange because it seems like Ravage actually _cares_ about Autumn! The first thing the Cybercat did that caught my attention, was to magnetize her front paws to the berth. That actually _forced_ Autumn to remain in a prone position on her back. It was an excellent position for recharge. Almost as soon as Autumn entered her recharge cycle, Ravage did as well. The two stayed like that for the entire lunar cycle. Then when Autumn got to the rec room, Ravage kept pushing the cube of energon towards her. It was as if Ravage was insisting that Autumn take care of _her_ needs _first_!

She gulped the cube down like she was simply getting a tedious task over with. After she was done with her own cube, she started trying to get Ravage to drink the second cube. At first, most of the energon was being wasted because Ravage couldn't drink like an average bot. But then, Autumn tore the top of the cube off and held it while Ravage began to lap it up. The Cybercat seemed to enjoy Autumn's attentions, while at the same time, Autumn seemed to be entranced by Ravage.

I sensed another bot walk up to stand beside me, and looked over to see Elita standing there. Because we were fairly close to both Autumn and Ravage, and I didn't want either of them to hear what I had to say, I used my comm system.

 **:I think it's a bit strange but Ravage seemed to force Autumn into recharge last lunar cycle.:** ~ Arcee.

 **:Good! From what I've been told, Autumn hasn't been recharging properly. Apparently, she wasn't able to do so even when she was human. Ratchet suspects that her recharge is plagued by traumatic memories that the humans call nightmares. He also suspects that because she is unable to endure those memories, she emerges from recharge and refuses to enter it again. Between that and her insufficient fueling, her systems are being strained.:** ~ Elita.

 **:Apparently Ravage may know something about her fueling problems, because the Cybercat just refused to accept energon until Autumn had hers first.:** ~ Arcee.

 **:When you consider the fact that Ravage is one of Soundwave's symbionts, and possesses a link to the telepath; that becomes entirely possible.:** ~ Elita.

At that point Elita told me that she would assume watch over Ravage.

 **Autumn POV**

I held the cube of energon steady while Ravage lapped it up. It was so cool to watch her do that. I'd never had a pet before. No dogs or cats, so watching her up close like that was something new. Once she was finished, I knew it was time for my training session with Jazz, and that I'd be just a little bit late. I didn't think he'd be too fragged off at me… at least I _hoped_ he wouldn't.

I carried Ravage into the main hangar where Jazz stood waiting for me. As soon as he looked at me, a big smug grin broke out on his faceplates.

"Tha's a _big_ cat for such a Lil Lady!" Jazz told me grinning widely.

"Yeah, she is!" I shot back with a smile of my own. "Her name's Ravage, and she even protected me in my dreams!"

"Well, sounds ta meh like she likes ya! What da ya think dere Lil Lady?" Jazz asked me still grinning.

"I think she does too… at least I _hope_ she does. She's so _cute_!" I said as I hugged Ravage closer.

Jazz chuckled at that. "Ah think ya like tha cat, more den anything else Ah seen ya with."

"I never had a dog or cat before… She's a great big _kitty_!" I squealed happily.

"Ah can see tha. Ah can also see somethin else too." Jazz told me with a smirk.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"Ah can see tha ya gonna have ta put her down so ya can train." Jazz said with another chuckle. "Ya cain't learn ta fight wit Ravage in ya arms."

I nodded my helm and walked over to one side of the hangar to put Ravage next to the wall where she'd be out of the way. Then, I walked over to Jazz who was already in an opening stance, and settled into one of my own.

Jazz started throwing punches at me, and I tried to block them. Some of them I couldn't block, so I had to dodge or duck to one side. I knew I couldn't hit him yet, but that didn't stop me from trying. I got maybe a half foot away from his torso before he blocked me. I wasn't as lucky though. He got me with a kick that resounded through the hangar with a loud clang. I had to grin though… I had never gotten that close to hitting him before!

"Ya see tha Lil Lady? Ya gettin betta! Ya almos got meh dat time! I might be pullin mah punches an kicks but ya ain't gonna be able ta hit meh unless ya do it for real, so keep tryin Lil Lady!" Jazz encouraged me with a smile.

"I just wanna know why she ain't using a holoform for hand to hand combat training. It seems to me that if she _was_ using a holoform, then Lieutenant Akarahito could _really_ teach her some stuff!" One of the human soldiers said to Arcee.

Jazz stepped back out of range to show that the current match was over, before he turned to the human. "Tha sounds like a pretty good idea. The Cons ain't gonna know any human styles o fightin, cause they ain't gonna care. Tha might give ya an advantage if ya have ta defend yaself."

I turned around to see Robert Epps standing there looking up at Jazz and Arcee with a curious expression on his face.

"Dere's only one problem with tha though." Jazz said to him.

"What problem?" Epps asked dismissively. "Akarahito is a Black Belt in just about every kind of martial arts known to man. If there is _still_ such a thing as a Ninja, he's as close it to as you can get!"

"Maybe. But tha Lil Lady ain't got a holoform yet, an tha means she can't train with im. Ah'd have ta talk ta Ratch, but Ah think we might be able ta get tha taken care of." Jazz answered.

 **Ravage POV**

Pridemaster had told me that a Sparkling needed my protection. Pridemaster was right! Sparkling Autumn was afraid. She was even afraid of the small soft ones that were native to this planet. Large for a Sparkling, but still a Sparkling, and I could smell her fear. It was strange… her fear had dissipated when she first saw me. She picked me up and held me as if _I_ were the Sparkling that needed protection! Sparkling Autumn carried me back to her lair, and lay down in her nest. Then members of my new pack arrived. They said I was dangerous… and they were _right_! I am dangerous. My fangs and claws have shredded more sparks than I can count. I would be dangerous for Sparkling Autumn, but not _to_ Sparkling Autumn! Pridemaster wanted her protected; wanted her safe; wanted Sparkling Autumn to _feel_ safe! I can do that. I _will_ do that. I will _enjoy_ the feast I will make of the spark of any bot that threatens Sparkling Autumn.

Sparkling Autumn is the first besides Pridemaster to show concern for me. I could smell the changes in her. Sparkling Autumn had been afraid of the small soft one, but when she saw me, that scent became one of affection. Sparkling Autumn _knows_ what it means to be a pack member! Pack members take care of each other. This is something that only Pridemaster has done for me… until now… that is why I can and _will_ protect Sparkling Autumn from _any_ threat!

When I scented Sparkling Autumn's fear, I grew wary. I was sure that her pack members wouldn't cause her harm, but she was still afraid. That's when I knew… Sparkling Autumn was afraid that I would be taken away and not be around to protect her. I forced my helm against her servo to show her that I was not so easily dismissed. Her attention was then fully on me, and her other pack members forgotten. That is how a Sparkling is, and that is another way I knew that Pridemaster was right in asking me to protect her.

I could smell her frame's need to recharge, and regain strength. Sparkling Autumn didn't want to recharge even though she needed it. I placed my front paws on each side of her frame and held her to her nest by magnetizing them. One of my new pack members made it dark so Sparkling Autumn could recharge, but she tried to avoid it. Sparkling Autumn was still caressing my frame when she entered recharge.

Instead of dreaming of the hunt; dreaming of chasing the prey; Sparkling Autumn dreamed of her creator. I knew that Pridemaster was allowing me to be in her dreams, and in her dreams, Sparkling Autumn was one of the small soft ones who was being attacked by… _her creator_!

I wanted to rend his frame until there was nothing left. I wanted to feast upon every drop of energon that could be squeezed from him, but every time I came close enough to do that, her dream changed. That angered me to no end. Still, I made sure that the piece of waste scrap who was her creator never got to harm her. When her dreams changed to learning the skills of the hunt; learning to evade, and pursue, and even fight, her fear vanished, and she became pleased with herself. This was something she needed to keep. She needs to learn to have pride, to be strong, and this is why Pridemaster asked me to watch over her.


	35. Chapter 35

**Optimus POV**

I watched Autumn enter the hangar with Ravage in her arms. Elita was following closely, but seemed to be merely observing. Arcee followed shortly after watching Autumn intently. I have to admit that it is a great relief to me for three of the femmes to have arrived. In addition to giving the others hope that our race can survive, and lifting the spirits, they will be able to help Autumn as well. I had listened to what Soundwave said to Prowl, and it weighed heavily on my spark that Soundwave felt his presence was actually necessary for Autumn's well being. The issue on the other servo… is that she has actually smiled.

I am unable to recall seeing her smile as a human… and until this bream I have not seen her smile as a bot. She was training with Jazz, and though he wasn't fighting at anything _close_ to his full abilities, I could see that he was still pushing her… _hard_! The match stopped when Sgt. Epps made a suggestion, one that made sense actually. A holoform could not suffer permanent damage easily. The only way that was possible was to damage the actual system responsible for the holoform. Otherwise, it was a simple matter of disengaging the holoform, and then reengaging it again. It would allow Autumn to socialize more, because then she might feel more at ease with the humans that were stationed on the island. As it is, she tends to stay to herself when she's not in training for something. That isn't good for her. She needs to associate with others, interact with them, and hopefully overcome her past. I can only pray to Primus that she will.

I watch silently as she steps over to Ravage, sits down, and pulls the Cybercat into her lap. Her entire demeanor seemed to change immediately. As she focused her full attention on Ravage, petting and stroking the Symbiont, a slight smile graced her faceplates. It was the first smile I have ever seen from her. To know that her smile was caused by the simple presence of a Decepticon Symbiont is not a spark warming experience. Elita and Arcee were clearly displeased by the entire situation, as well as the attention that Autumn gave the Cybercat, yet they didn't interfere.

When Ironhide entered the hangar, Autumn tensed up and the position of her wings indicated fear. I knew that my Weapons Specialist noticed it because he slumped in dismay. Then Ravage was snarling at him… _loudly_.

"No, stop. Ravage _please_ stop! I'll get in trouble, and I don't want to be in anymore trouble. I can't go back to the brig!" Autumn said as she wrapped both arms around the Cybercat.

The desperation in Autumn's whispered words was clear to anyone who heard it. It was clear that Ironhide did, because he winced visibly.

"Ya ain't gonna get in any trouble dere Lil Lady. Ah can see that Ravage ain't doin nothin ya wouldn' be doin if ya had the struts for it. Ya ain't gotta be scared of ol Hide though. See ya got the frame of an adult, so tha's what he thought ya were. If he'd a known ya was still as young as ya are, dere ain't no way he'd a done that." Jazz told Autumn seriously.

"Ain't that right Hide?" Jazz demanded as he looked over at the black mech. I could see that his casual attitude was all but gone, and he was now _very_ serious, although Autumn was unable to see his face, so she couldn't tell.

"Yes." Ironhide said in a saddened tone as he looked towards Autumn.

Suddenly Ironhide turned away from Autumn and went to the other side of the hangar, where he collapsed down into his truck form. The driver side door opened, and Ironhide's holoform got out.

 **Autumn POV**

I watched in surprise as Jason/Ironhide got out of the truck and walked over towards me. I recognized the holoform immediately. How could I not? That face, those huge rolling muscles, and those piercing blue eyes would be burned in my memories _forever_! This was the one who had broke down the door to that room I was trapped in, snapped the chains that held me prisoner, and saved me. I thought that I was going to die in that room. I _wanted_ to die. Then he came. Nothing, I mean absolutely _nothing_ could have stopped him. Not even my father could stop him, and he had _tried_!

He walked over, but stopped some distance away, and looked up at me. I could see… actually _see_ that sadness on his face.

"I told you yesterday that I'm sorry for what I did to you. I said it, and I meant it. Yeah, Chromia might have hit me a couple times, but it was a lot less than what I deserved." Ironhide told me seriously.

"You… you're the one who got me out of there."

The holoform only nodded. "I'd do it again too. Only, I'd make sure that I pounded that chunk of scrap afterwards." He said as he looked up at me. "You don't have to be scared of me Autumn, because I will make _sure_ that you never get hurt like that again!"

I could tell that he meant what he said, but before I could say anything Ravage squirmed out of my arms and walked over to him stalking around him in circles like she was about to rip him apart. Ironhide wasn't scared at all… he only looked at her and grinned.

"You really like her don't you? Good! Make sure she stays safe, cause if ya don't, you and my cannons will be having a talk, and I can promise that you won't like what they have to say." Ironhide/Jason said while looking Ravage right in her one optic.

 **Elita POV**

I remained a silent observer as Ironhide approached Autumn using his holoform. It was clear that she recognized the holoform, but at the same time, she was also very frightened of Ironhide. Autumn was very apprehensive and held Ravage tighter as he approached.

I watched Autumn as he spoke to her because I wanted to see what her reaction would be. I knew that Ironhide truly regretted what he had done to her, but Autumn didn't seem to believe that. I knew that Ironhide had _always_ been patient, and extremely good with both sparklings and younglings, but Autumn clearly wanted to have nothing to do with him. Apparently that training incident, which I didn't have all the details of, had made a horrible impression on Autumn.

Ironhide tried to reassure Autumn, but I could see that she still refused to believe him. That was when Ravage jumped out of Autumn's arms and stalked towards Ironhide. She was circling him, ready to pounce on him in an instant. It was an explosive situation, but instead of reacting to a clear threat from ravage, Ironhide only grinned.

I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction when Ironhide delivered his command to make sure that Autumn stayed safe, because it was exactly the kind of thing he would be prone to do. Make sure that a sparkling was protected at all costs. I don't think _anyone_ was ready for what happened next.

Autumn jumped from her position against the wall of the hangar and kicked Ironhide's holoform. She used such force that it created a huge dent in the door of his alt mode when he flew thirty meters across the hangar to hit himself before dissipating. That was when Ironhide transformed and stared at her in shock.

" _You leave Ravage alone_!" She bellowed in rage. "You lay one servo on her and I'll offline you in such a way that you'll be wishing to Primus you had never been created. I'll eat your spark for a lunar cycle snack! I'll suck every last drop of energon from your lines and want _more_! Do you hear me? I'll kill you _slowly_!"

I was stunned into immobility. I couldn't believe that this was the same Autumn I had met just a few jour ago. Her faceplates were so twisted with rage that I had never even seen a _Decepticon_ look that fragged off!

There were only two bots present who were _not_ shocked into immobility. The first was Jazz. He reacted very quickly to grab Autumn from behind, and keep her from continuing her attack against Ironhide. Logically, I know that she doesn't have anywhere _near_ the skill to harm him, but still… that rage was actually _frightening_ to see!

The other bot who was able to move was actually Ravage. The notoriously dangerous and deadly Cybercat was slinking backwards away from Autumn with her ears laid back, and her tail tucked up against her abdominal plates. _Ravage_ was even frightened by Autumn's rage, and _that_ was saying something, because that Cybercat had even attacked Devastator without hesitating!

 **Jazz POV**

It was a good thing I grabbed Autumn when I did, because she was going to tear into Hide with everything she had. Not that she would have been a match for him, but still, she wasn't joking in the slightest. Even as I held her back she struggled to get at him. Her doorwings kept slamming against my shoulder plates hard enough to be painful to _me_! So how _she_ was able to handle that I have no idea. What I _did_ know, was that Ravage wanted _nothing_ to do with the kind of rage Autumn was going through. That told me something.

I knew that Cybercats have an extraordinary sense of smell, and can use it to detect all kinds of emotions in a bot. Whatever she smelled in Autumn wasn't normal anger, because it even had _her_ scared. I knew then that this had to be what Ratch had been talking about. _This_ is what her 'psychotically murderous rage' was like. To be honest, I knew that the pain from her doorwings should have just about paralyzed her, but she didn't even _notice_! It seems that I'm going to have to ease up, or stop her training altogether; because there is no way that I want to have to fight her in this state. If the pain from her completely slagged doorwings isn't stopping her, then a bot would almost have to rip her spark out before she'd even notice the damage.

I had to get through to her. The only ways that seemed possible was to either damage her enough to put her in the medbay for a while or reason with her. I'm not a _Decepticon_ , and I _don't_ hurt sparklings!

"Ya don't wanna do tha Lil Lady! Ol Hide dere can give meh a good fight, an ya ain't got da trainin ta go servo ta servo wit him. Come on now, yer even scarin Ravage." I told her hoping that I could somehow get through to her.

That's when I saw Ravage look towards the brig. She looked back at Autumn for a moment with her helm tilted to one side, before looking back towards the brig again. Then she started slowly slinking up to Autumn, and I could tell that she was actually scared. It wasn't until Ravage actually got close to Autumn that she even noticed the Cybercat. At this point Ravage was so low to the ground that her abdominal plates were almost touching the floor. Then, before I could stop her, Autumn was reaching down and picking up the Cybercat.

"I'm… I'm sorry Ravage. I wasn't trying to scare you. I didn't mean to. I _swear_ I didn't!"

Autumn was actually crying as she apologized to Ravage. There was a stunned expression on the faceplates of every bot present. Poor Sgt. Epps, he looked pale, and I think if he could have run, he would have. I will say this for Autumn; she's the first bot I've ever known that could actually shock _Optimus_ into inaction. I almost wanted to laugh, except that this wasn't even _close_ to being funny. When she didn't do anything but hold Ravage close and start cuddling the Cybercat, I began walking her to the medbay.

 **Ratchet POV**

I was doing a bit of research when the door to my medbay opened. I was about to throw a wrench as usual, but then I saw the condition of Autumn's doorwings. I felt me spark almost freeze in my chest. How was she even _functioning_ with that kind of damage? I saw the tracks and tears of energon sliding down her cheeks, and I thought that it was because of the pain. Then I heard her whispers. She was crying because she was truly sorry for scaring Ravage, and she didn't want the Cybercat to leave her. She wasn't paying _any_ attention to the amount of damage she had to her wings, which was phenomenal. They were unrecognizable as doorwings. In fact, if I didn't know what they were, I would have sworn that they weren't even a part of her frame! They were bent in to balls of crushed scrap metal. Jazz walked her over to a berth and sat her down on it. That was when I saw the traces of green paint on his shoulders.

 **:Ah'll fill ya in later. Dis happened while Ah was keeping her from atackin Hide. Do whatever ya gotta do ta put her out…** _ **fast**_ **! Ah don't wanna try holdin her back again.:** Jazz sent before I could say anything.

I gripped Autumn by her shoulder plates and gently put her in stasis. I was about to move Ravage, when that Cybercat jumped out of Autumn's arms and moved to the other side of the medbay where she sat down watching Autumn. I was in the process of laying Autumn down with her back struts facing upwards when Optimus entered. Jazz, Arcee, Elita, Ravage, and now Optimus. There were far too many uninjured bots in my medbay for my comfort.

"Do not even _think_ of ordering us to leave Ratchet. All of us are concerned about Autumn right now. Even if you were to paint Sunstreaker _pink_ … he would not be _nearly_ as angry as Autumn was a moment ago." Optimus told me seriously.

"Autumn, angry? That's a first." I replied with a huff.

"Yeah, well she was fragged off enough ta scare Ravage away from her. She wanted ta offline Hide." Jazz told me gruffly.

"No! She wanted to feast on Ironhide's spark and then drink the energon from his lines." Arcee corrected sourly.

I couldn't help but look up from Autumn. "What the slag torqued her off like that?"

"Ironhide issued a warning to Ravage to keep Autumn safe. Autumn did _not_ appreciate the threat he made to Ravage in the process." Elita answered.

"From now on, _no one_ is to make _any_ threats to, towards, or in regards to Ravage! I do _not_ want to see or even _hear_ of Autumn going off like that again. I will issue that order to all of the other bots on base as well." Optimus said softly in a near growl.

I couldn't help but stare at Optimus. For him to show _any_ sign of anger was rare indeed, but for him to be that angry, something very serious had occurred.

"Ratch… Ah think we seen what ya was talkin about wit tha psychotic rage o hers. Ah was behin her, holdin her back, an she didn' care about anything other than getting at him! She wanted ta kill Hide so bad tha Ah think she could taste it. She beat tha slag outa meh wit her wings, an she never even noticed tha damage she was takin. All she wanted was ta get ta Hide an kill him slowly." Jazz said with a shake of his helm.

I shook my own helm and got to work on Autumn's doorwings, which were mangled beyond repair. They would have to be replaced. I set about removing the twisted lumps of metal from her frame, and had to admit that I was glad she had been focused on something other than the damage she'd taken. The screams that she _should_ have been emitting would probably have been heard from across the island.

There was a lot of delicate work involved, because she had also done a lot of damage to the joints, and the controlling muscle cables as well. It took me a couple of bream to get each wing off, because I had to disassemble almost half of her shoulder assembly to do it. When I finally got the worthless lumps of metal disconnected from her frame I switched her from a stasis lock to forced recharge, so she could get some much needed rest. I decided to get some recharge myself before I started on the process of manufacturing some new doorwings for her. I went to my office and sat down to rest. Ravage was still there, but none of the others were. With the Cybercat in recharge, along with Autumn, I slipped into recharge myself.


	36. Chapter 36

**Ratchet POV**

I came online to some rather strange noises. It sounded like someone was using my tools. I got up, stepped out of my office, and saw Autumn standing at another berth working on the torso of what was going to be a _massive_ frame. Judging by the size of that torso, I would have to say that the resulting frame would be _easily_ taller than Optimus by a good twenty-five percent. That would make the bot almost forty human feet in height if not more.

I looked around and saw that Ravage was still in recharge, and a pair of apparently completed doorwings was resting on the berth Autumn had been on. I stepped over to look at the torso she was working on. It was the _strangest_ setup I had ever seen. There was a standard spark regulator, but that was connected to _three_ oversized spark chambers! Those three chambers were interconnected so that energy from one would flow through the others and vice versa. That didn't make any sense at all. Then there was a _fourth_ but normal sized spark chamber centered just below those three so that it was somewhat connected to the other three as well. I shook my helm as I tried to understand _why_ this was being done. Granted the three oversized spark chambers were being set up so that basically one extremely high powered spark could be divided between them, but I only knew of _maybe_ three bots who would need something that large. Then there was the fourth spark chamber. It was clear to me from looking at the set up that a minute amount of power would trickle into the fourth chamber, but why it was there at all, I didn't know. What I _did_ know, was that what I could see in that torso was far beyond my medical knowledge and skill to create.

It was sheer curiosity that prompted me to scan the frame Autumn was building, and that's when I found that other than the _very_ strange spark chamber assembly, that everything was being _expertly_ assembled. That strange torso had several extra flex points to provide greater mobility, but it was odd in that the chest area of the torso was being made to resemble that of a femme.

I knew that femmes generally had a larger chest because they could then gestate a second spark. Rare, and unusual, but it was possible, and many femmes had chosen to do so. The resulting sparkling was always loved and cared for by the femme who had carried that sparkling. There was a reason that femmes were given the respect that they were. They carried, and nurtured a developing spark until it was strong enough to inhabit a frame of its own.

The frame that Autumn was building wasn't just that of a femme. This frame was _meant_ to be a carrier! I could tell by looking at it, that this frame would end up creating life a great many times. Then I looked up at Autumn. Those aquamarine colored optics of hers weren't shining with a normal level of brightness. They were dim; barely even online, with only the faintest glow of operation.

That's when it struck me. Autumn didn't have the skills or even the _knowledge_ to build a frame like this. Clean parts, and even name _most_ of them? Sure, she could do that… but this? This was something that I knew was impossible. What was she thinking? How was she doing this? I just had to know.

"Autumn?"

I called her name softly, but I was completely ignored, so I tried again.

"Autumn?" This time I called her in a normal speaking tone, but she still ignored me.

There wasn't _anything_ about this that was normal. There was only one bot on base who could tell me what was going on in Autumn's mind.

 **:Soundwave, can you tell me what Autumn is currently doing?:** I asked him.

 **:Autobot Autumn is in a state of recharge. Unit Ravage accompanying Autobot Autumn during her dreams.:** ~ Soundwave.

 **:No, Autumn is in my medbay working on building a frame!:** I replied tensely.

 **:Negative. Autobot Autumn is in recharge. Soundwave currently monitoring dream sequence.:** Soundwave answered.

 **:That's not possible Soundwave! I am** _ **watching**_ **Autumn build a frame!:** I shot back.

 **:Autobot Autumn currently dreaming of sitting with Unit Ravage in her lap watching sunset from the cliffs. Unit Ravage confirms.:** Soundwave argued.

If Soundwave said that Autumn was in recharge…

 **:Prowl… I need you to bring Soundwave to the medbay now. This is important.:** I sent quickly.

Prowl acknowledged the transmission, and a few moments later he escorted Soundwave into the medbay. The noted Decepticon froze when he looked over at Autumn who hadn't stopped working on the torso in front of her.

"Not possible. Autobot Autumn still in recharge cycle. Autobot Autumn's frame should not be functioning with governing intelligence in that state." Soundwave said as the glow from his visor dimmed for a few seconds.

Prowl looked from Autumn to Soundwave in obvious shock. "Are you saying that you can't detect anything causing her to do… _that_?" Prowl demanded with a gesture towards the still working Autumn.

"Affirmative. Scan indicates Autobot Autumn's frame in powered down status for recharge. Factor behind current mobilization; unknown."

The slight note of fear in Soundwave's voice sent an icy chill through my frame. If _Soundwave_ was unable to detect why Autumn was able to move about like this while in recharge, then there was a _very_ serious problem at servo!

"Soundwave, can I trust you to help me examine Autumn's programming later?" I asked him.

"Affirmative. Safeguarding last creation of Allspark; paramount." Soundwave replied before looking over at Autumn. "Identification of unknown guidance of vital importance in safety of Autobot Autumn."

"I can't argue with you at _all_ on that sentiment!" I agreed quickly.

"There is some possibility that my bond with Autumn would be of some use, should that prove not to be the case, I _still_ wish to assist." Prowl told us solemnly.

"Assistance of Tactician Prowl; required! Bond guarantees verification of Autobot Autumn's emotional state. Soundwave attempt to use telepathy for identification of unknown form of guidance."

I knew that at this point, it would take all three of us working together to find out _how_ Autumn was functioning while in a state of recharge. We would also hopefully be able find out who or what was controlling her frame while she was _in_ recharge! To do this, I would need Soundwave here and with unrestricted access to Autumn. He couldn't do that if he was still confined to the brig.

 **:Optimus, I need you to come to the medbay. Both Soundwave and Prowl are already here, because there is a new problem with Autumn.:** I sent with a heavy spark.

 **:I will come now. May I ask what this new problem is?:** Optimus responded quickly.

 **:You'll see for yourself when you get here.:** I sent back cryptically, knowing that would make him arrive faster.

All three of us, myself, Prowl, and Soundwave stood there watching Autumn work. Her movements were precise, yet at the same time, they were _far_ more graceful and somehow _feminine_ than Autumn had ever been. That's when I realized what I thought _might_ be a possibility.

"Prowl, do you recall my stating that Autumn's personality core is split?" I asked suddenly.

"Yes, I do. You informed those bots at that particular meeting that Autumn has two separate and distinct personalities. One is filled with anger, depression, and fear, while the other is kind, gentle, and loving." Prowl said before he turned and looked at me intently. "Do you believe that what we are seeing might be that second personality in control?"

"I suppose it's possible. But if that personality _is_ in control right now; that doesn't explain where the knowledge to do _that_ came from." I said gesturing at Autumn still building a frame.

 **Optimus POV**

I wasn't at all pleased about being brought out of my recharge by Ratchet's insistence that I come to the medbay. When the door opened, I saw all three bots staring at Autumn who appeared to be working on a torso section of a frame.

"So what exactly is this ' _new problem_ '?" I asked tiredly.

"Look at Autumn and tell me what you see." Ratchet told me almost patiently.

I looked over at Autumn, and studied her carefully. Several of her back plates were missing, in addition to her doorwings. That alone would throw her off balance, both because of the missing weight, and because of the missing sensory input. There was also the detail of her working on that piece of frame.

"Do you mean beside the fact of her missing doorwings, parts, and that she is working on a frame?" I asked irritably.

"Soundwave confirms that Autumn is currently in recharge. So what does that tell you?" Ratchet replied in his normal grouchy tone.

Now I was looking at Autumn while fully alert. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing as she continued to assemble that frame. It was clear to me now that she was building one from scratch. I was unaware that she possessed such knowledge. Constructing an entire frame was a delicate, and time consuming task that she was having no problems with, while Ratchet would have considerable difficulty doing so without any type of schematics to follow. I conducted a scan of Autumn and froze.

"Ratchet, my scanners may be in need of calibration. I could be mistaken, but believe that I am picking up a slight amount of Allspark energy in Autumn's frame." I said pensively.

Ratchet's brow ridges rose before he too turned and scanned Autumn. I noticed that the other two bots performed a scan as well.

"Autumn is showing a merest _trace_ of Allspark energy. Almost undetectable, but it is there." Ratchet replied.

I couldn't help but notice that Autumn ignored all of us in favor of what she was doing. In fact, she didn't pay any attention to us at _all_! It was very disconcerting, and disturbing to me because she acted as if we weren't even there.

This was radically different behavior than I had previously seen from Autumn. Every time I had seen her prior to this day, she had been timid, fearful, and very apprehensive. She would most certainly not have simply _ignored_ other bots being close to her.

Suddenly, Autumn seemed to finish what she was doing. She turned around, walked to the other side of the medbay, and lay face down on the berth. I could hear the sounds of various systems cycling down as she entered a state of recharge. A quick scan from Ratchet confirmed that she was in recharge, and he quickly stepped over and put Autumn into stasis.

Once Autumn was in stasis, Ratchet began to attach the doorwings that were already waiting on the berth. It was only a short matter of time for him to install and adjust those doorwings, and then the plating around them. Once he had finished her repairs, he put her back into a state of recharge. It was only when the medic stepped back that Soundwave spoke.

"Theoretical possibility; Allspark implanted frame knowledge during transformation." Soundwave mused aloud.

Ratchet shook his helm. "That would be about the _only_ thing that could explain that torso she built."

"Are you saying that it isn't one she modified?" I asked curiously.

"A torso _that_ size? Why would I have a blank torso that big Optimus? _You_ can't use it… you're too small! There's isn't a bot on _Earth_ big enough to use that thing… and I'm including the Decepticons in there as well." Ratchet groused before shaking his helm again. "No, Autumn built that from scratch… and honestly… I'd be hard pressed to match the skill that went into it." Anything else he might have said went unspoken when Chromia walked in to the medbay.

 **Chromia POV**

I walked in to the medbay where Autumn was recharging, only to find Prowl, Soundwave, Optimus, and Ratchet standing there with very serious expressions on their faceplates. "If there's a problem I can return to supervise Autumn and Ravage later." I suggested.

"There is indeed a problem Chromia, but it concerns Autumn. We just aren't sure what we should do about it." Optimus answered heavily.

"Why do anything yet?" Ratchet asked quickly. "She hasn't caused any problems. Yes… she's going to be using a _lot_ of materials if she somehow manages to complete that frame she started, but I don't see any problems with her doing it."

"Suggestion; Femme units supervise Autobot Autumn constantly. Unit Ravage poses emotional distraction while online. Secondary suggestion; Autobot Autumn recharge in medbay to observe any further abnormalities. Further suggestion; allow Autobot Autumn to continue construction of blank frame." Soundwave stated.

"Exactly what frame is being discussed?" I almost demanded, since I didn't enjoy being the only one who didn't know what was going on.

" _That_ frame." Prowl pointed out.

I looked over to see the torso section of a frame that would end up making Optimus seem short. I walked over to get a better look, and saw that the chest plates hadn't been installed yet. On the other servo, the spark chamber assembly was absolutely _strange_!

"Ratchet… could something like this even work?" I asked in surprise.

"Possibly… but it would take an _extremely_ powerful spark for that to happen. I can only think of three bots in existence who _might_ be able to use it." He answered while looking at the frame with a thoughtful expression.

"I think we need to take Soundwave's suggestions. I want Autumn recharging here. If nothing else I can watch her while she builds this thing. I might even get to learn something from it." The medic said softly.

That was when I looked at Ratchet hard. He wasn't displaying _any_ of his typical grouchiness. Actually, he seemed to be so engrossed with what Autumn had done that he was almost… _almost_ ignoring everything else. Then he shook his helm and looked at us.

"I need to recharge before I try to think about this. For now, I say we go with Soundwave's suggestions." Ratchet said before walking back to his office.

That was when Ravage came online and stretched before walking over and jumping up onto Autumn's berth. The big Cybercat just sat there for a moment, before Autumn rolled over and sat up. As soon as she did, Ravage was in her lap.

"Prowl, I want you to assign Soundwave a set of quarters near yours." Optimus instructed seriously. "Soundwave… I don't like doing this, but it seems that your assistance is going to be needed. Therefore, I can't have you in the brig. I will need some time to ensure that none of my Autobots will attack you or your symbionts on sight. Hopefully that issue will be resolved in a few days. After that, you will be allowed the freedom of the base."

"Understood." Soundwave answered simply.

Prowl led Soundwave out, and I noticed that Autumn was once more focused on Ravage. That just had to be one of the strangest things I have seen. I knew that Ravage was a very skilled and deadly opponent, but it seemed that Ravage would actually Autumn, and from what I had been told, Autumn was _fiercely_ protective of Ravage. Oh I have seen the damage to Hide's alt mode, and personally, I don't blame Autumn in the slightest. He knows better than to threaten a sparkling or a sparkling's friends. He might as well have _asked_ Autumn to damage him! He's lucky that Ratchet is merely making him wait a while before repairing the damage. If it were up to me, he would be forced to repair that damage himself. He might be my sparkmate, but sometimes… he can be a total glitch!

I was lost in my own thoughts as I watched Autumn pet and play with Ravage as she sat on the medical berth. Her focus was entirely on the Cybercat when the door to the medbay opened.

"Autumn?" Blue asked softly. "Why are you in the medbay?"

'She's here strictly for observation, Bluestreak. There is nothing wrong with her." I said quickly to reassure the rather talkative mech.

"Autumn?"

"Blue!" Autumn almost squealed happily.

Autumn's wings rose into a position of sheer joy and a smile lit up her faceplates as she looked over at the bot in the doorway.

"How have you been?" Blue asked with a light smile of his own.

" _I've got a kitty_!" Autumn exclaimed loudly and excitedly.

I could tell when Blue finally noticed Ravage because his whole frame seemed to stiffen, and his smile faltered a bit.

"That's Ravage… isn't it?" Blue asked hesitantly.

"Yep! And I get to keep her." Autumn said before her smile vanished.

"Well, for now anyway. Sooner or later, whoever owns her is going to come get her, and then I won't have her anymore." Autumn whispered sadly.

It tore at my spark to see a mere sparkling so sad. I was going to reassure her, but Ravage beat me to it. That Cybercat reared up and licked Autumn right across her faceplates. That raspy glossa went from Autumn's chin up to her chevron, and Autumn giggled in response before wrapping her arms around the Symbiont and hugging her tightly.

"But for right now, I have her, and I'm going to love her for as long as I can." Autumn murmured as she buried her helm in Ravage's frame.

 **:Blue, this is the second time that I've seen Ravage cheer Autumn up, when she started to become depressed. For right now, Arcee, Elita, and I will be switching off as we keep on optic on the two of them. I haven't seen you here since we arrived, but Soundwave is also on base, and he will be assisting Ratchet to help Autumn. Something tells me she needs that.:** I sent quickly.

 **:What makes you so certain that Ravage won't hurt her? Autumn was hurt more than enough by her sire, and I don't want to see her hurt again.:** Blue responded just as quickly.

 **:I don't want to see that happen either. No one does… except that organic thing that calls itself Galloway. Ravage will help to protect Autumn if it comes down to it. She was even snarling at Hide yesterday, because Autumn is frightened of him.:** I sent with a huff.

 **:Some bot just needs to trip and fall on that slagger! Autumn has a pretty good reason to be afraid of Hide. One of the first times she was allowed out of the medbay after she became a bot; she was supposed to report to Hide for combat training. That slagger had Mirage ambush her. Her wings were torn up and almost torn** _ **off**_ **! I beat them both pretty good for it though.:** Bluestreak answered at first with anger, but a bit of pride at the end.

I couldn't blame him for being proud of that victory. Even my sparkmate admitted to being very impressed that 'meek little Bluestreak' had gotten down right _vicious_! He had shared the logs with me. Mirage had been heavily damaged which even included a few skid marks from Bluestreak's tires. Ironhide hadn't fared a whole lot better, and that was why he was actually _proud_ of Bluestreak. The mech had gone from being almost as timid as Autumn, to a bot who could hold his own against two who were supposed to be better trained than he was.

 **:I can understand you being angry at him Blue. The first time I set optics on him after several vorn of separation, I hit him twice because of that. He knows better that to submit a bot to that when he knows next to nothing about them. Thankfully Jazz is teaching her to defend herself now. From what I've been told, he holds back just enough to make her fight at her best, without taking any chances of hurting her.:** I told the mech.

Autumn was nuzzling Ravage when she looked up at Blue. "Where have you been? I have seen you in several solar cycles."

"I've been out on patrol. Making sure the Decepticons don't start any trouble. If they do… a whole lot of Autobots show up to deal with them." Bluestreak said with a smile at Autumn.

 **:Well, I know Jazz won't hurt her, but he** _ **does**_ **give her a good workout! She likes those training sessions though, because she's usually happy even though she's also tired afterwards.:** Blue sent.

 **Bluestreak POV**

"So Autumn… when did you find Ravage?" I asked casually. I couldn't help but be concerned about that Cybercat being so close to Autumn. She had put me in the medbay several times, so I knew how dangerous she could be. I think the only bot who hasn't been attacked by her or seen her in action is Wheeljack. Even Sunstreaker and Sideswipe don't find her an easy target because she's fast on her pedes.

"The day before yesterday. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were teaching me how to drive that morning, and then I went back to my quarters and sat down to rest a bit. The next thing I know, Jazz is there bringing me to meet new bots. They took me to my old room, and we talked before Jazz came in and said how they're friends of his. They wanted me to show them what I learned that morning, so we were going to the tarmac, but that… that…"

Autumn had been smiling when she started, but when she broke off, she was scared. I stepped over to the berth she was sitting on and started to rub her back plates soothingly. Ravage started purring at the same time. I wasn't sure if it was me or Ravage who calmed her down, but one of us sure did.

"Galloway was there and immediately began threatening to have sweet little Autumn here broken up into spare parts. Not that he'll ever get the chance because I'll step on him the instant he tries!" Chromia said in a near snarl of anger.

Autumn was gaping up at the femme with shock and disbelief clear in her optics and face plates.

"Then I think I'll give whatever is left of him to Ravage as a chew toy!" Chromia added as she crossed her arms over her chest.

I heard a peculiar coughing sound and looked over to see that it was coming from Ravage who appeared to be… _laughing_. I had to smile, because it looked like both of them would enjoy getting a hold of Galloway.

Autumn looked down at the Cybercat before gaping at Chromia. She did that for several seconds before she glanced at me and then looked back at Chromia.

"His head is probably hard enough to damage your pedes if you step on him." Autumn said quietly.

Chromia and I both burst out laughing at that. She was laughing so hard that her knees buckled. I had to admit, Autumn had a point. Galloway was _the_ most stubborn individual I'd ever met.

Chromia stepped over to Autumn, grabbed her helm, and held it so that Autumn was looking her in the optics.

"Thank you Autumn. I haven't laughed like that in a couple of vorn. I _knew_ I was going to like you. We're going to get along beautifully." Chromia said with a smile.

That was all it took. Autumn showed us that bright smile of hers that made my spark ache to see it again. As long as she was with those she felt she could trust, Autumn allowed that beatific smile to be seen. It was no wonder that I loved her as much as I did. I could gaze at that smile for many long vorn.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chromia POV**

Autumn seemed to be much more relaxed with Bluestreak present. Even with the short amount of time that I had known her, I could see a great deal of difference in her actions and attitude. She was friendly though a bit reserved with Jazz; timid, and fearful with those she didn't know… but she would even _joke_ with Bluestreak present. I knew that those two had shared a sparkbond that has since been dissolved; though how _that_ was done, I have no idea. What I do know, is that Autumn trusts Blue enough that she doesn't worry as much when he's with her. That's something I will _certainly_ be keeping in mind.

I was still chuckling a bit about the joke Autumn had made about Galloway's head being hard enough to damage my pedes. Sure I knew that it wasn't _that_ funny, but lately things have been so rough that I've had very little to even smile about, let alone actually laugh.

Autumn looked down as she pulled something out of a subspace compartment. "Do… do I have to give this back?" She asked hesitantly.

I took a better look at what she held and my jaw fell open. I knew about Praxian mating customs. Being a femme, I knew the mating customs of just about every frame type, so I knew _exactly_ what the object signified. It was a small mirror, trimmed in silver and encrusted with two hundred glittering sapphires. _This_ was what Bluestreak had given Autumn to begin their courtship! For a Praxian, it was an incredible offering, and to know that Autumn had accepted such an offering told me that Blue's feelings were fully reciprocated. I knew that I was a great deal older than Bluestreak, and that he would accept my judgment on something like this. I also knew that Autumn had recently been a human female, and most likely knew very little of mating customs.

"Autumn, you really shouldn't even make that offer, unless you regret ever bonding with Bluestreak." I told her seriously.

"Regret it? Why would I regret it? Bonding with Blue was the _best_ thing that ever happened to me… _and they took it away_!" Autumn shrieked desperately with the last being yelled in very intense anger.

I was still standing close to Autumn, and I took full advantage of the proximity by placing a servo on her shoulder. "Autumn, the only reason, and I mean the _only_ reason that bond was dissolved, is because for right now, you are too young for it. Later on, once you are old enough and _physically_ ready, Bluestreak will be able to bond with you again, if the two of you want that. Now, among Praxian frames like you and Blue, offering a shiny object signifies a romantic interest. The shinier the object, the stronger the feelings involved. For Blue to have given you something like that shows that he truly loves you Autumn…"

"I love him too!" Autumn shouted as she interrupted me.

"I know you do Autumn, believe me I know. Your anguish and anger over having that bond dissolved is proof of that. But I want you to know, that you can have that bond with him again. All you have to do is wait. Most femmes who bond with a Praxian only get one shiny object. In order to show that he wants to renew his bond with you, Blue will have to present you with _another_ shiny object which will have to be just as beautiful as the one you have, because otherwise that would indicate a lessening of his feelings for you…"

"So it'll have to be even better!" Bluestreak interjected quickly.

Autumn's doorwings rose in surprise as she gaped at the mech. I too looked over at him to see a very wide and self-satisfied smile on his faceplates.

"That is going to be _very_ hard to top Bluestreak. That mirror is very elegant, and by human standards, is very expensive." I told him seriously.

"I know, but she's worth it." Blue said simply.

The way he had said those few words, made it sound as if he had stated an immutable and undeniable fact. That alone told me that he was seriously in love with Autumn. The change in her was almost beyond belief. Her tight hold on Ravage loosened up a bit, and I knew that the Cybercat appreciated it. A smile of pure joy graced her faceplates, and her optics brightened in purest joy as she looked at Blue. I knew then, that Autumn and Blue shared a love that would never die, no matter how long they had to wait.

"I think you might be right on that Blue. Autumn might still be a sparkling, but I'm beginning to see a lot of potential in her." I said with a smile.

 **Sunstreaker POV**

My brother and I waited on the tarmac for more than two full bream. I was getting fed up with waiting for Autumn to finally make her appearance. That femme was certainly timid all right. But then I suppose that most sparklings are. I don't know because Autumn is the first one that either of us has ever been around.

"I'm going to go get her. Wait here." I snapped at my brother.

Sides just smirked. I knew that he was just as impatient as I was. Sure teaching that femme to drive did involve some effort and a _lot_ of patience, but it was also pretty obvious that she loved it. From what I was able to tell, she liked driving almost as much as Sides and I.

I stormed into the main hangar and saw Prowl speaking to Optimus, Ironhide, and Smokescreen. I _did_ wait until there was a break in the conversation. I'm not stupid, I know better than to interrupt Prime when he's talking serious business.

"Prowl, where's Autumn? She was supposed to meet us on the tarmac almost three bream ago." I snapped impatiently.

"Autumn is currently in the medical bay. She needed to have her doorwings replaced after an incident with Ironhide yesterday. She is fully repaired and should be ready to begin her training with you." Prowl answered calmly.

Ironhide? What did he do to her that made her need to have her doorwings _replaced_? I might not have a Praxian frame, but slag, I _know_ how sensitive those panels are! They must have taken a lot of damage. Glancing at Ironhide, I noticed a _huge_ dent in his driver's side door. It was almost completely caved in. It made me wonder why Hatchet hadn't fixed it yet, but it also told me that Autumn had at least been able to give some back. That was good. I'd have to mention that to her.

I headed to the med bay, and when the door slid open, I saw Autumn sitting on a berth, with Bluestreak sitting next to her, and none other than _Ravage_ in her lap! I knew that slagging bot was dangerous, because it could change directions in an instant. That made the slagger almost impossible to hit with a blade or plasma cannon. I know, because both my brother and I had tried… many times.

Autumn looked happy. Both her wings and her faceplates told me that. Plus there was the fact that Ravage was in her lap, and hadn't hurt her yet. I distinctly recall Soundwave stipulating that Autumn's protection was 'paramount'. I knew that bot to be many things… a telepath, a _seriously_ cold sparked slagger, and a _very_ deadly fighter. But one thing he wasn't is a liar. If he said that he intended to protect Autumn, then that's what he would do. My bet is that's what he has Ravage doing while he isn't there to do it himself.

"Are you going to sit there all solar cycle while my brother and I wait to resume your driving lessons?" I demanded irritably.

"I get to go driving today?" Autumn asked me in surprise before she squealed happily. "No one told me about this, so I thought it was a one time thing."

I could _not_ believe how excited she was! She acted like I had just given her the pass codes to a storage warehouse full of energon goodies. She was actually starting to vibrate she was so excited.

"Nope. One solar cycle, you take combat lessons from Jazz, on the next you take driving lessons from me and my brother. You will keep _on_ taking lessons from us until _we_ are satisfied that you can drive!" I told her bluntly.

Autumn jumped off the berth with a loud squeal, grabbed me in a one armed hug, and ran out of the medbay faster than I could figure out what was going on. When I finally realized what had happened, I looked at my frame, and then looked at Bluestreak.

"I'm pretty sure she's already out at the tarmac, so don't you think you should go after her?" Chromia asked me while laughing about it.

I looked at my frame again before turning around. "Did she scratch my paint?"

"No… she didn't… which surprises me because she even had Ravage in her left arm while she hugged you." Chromia answered still laughing.

I left the medbay, and walked out to the tarmac to find Autumn bouncing on her pedes again. She seemed just as excited as she was the first time she'd gone more than one hundred and fifty miles per hour. I could see Sides laughing at her, but I could _swear_ that Ravage was also laughing at the way she was acting.

"You won't be able to drive if you don't transform, and you can't transform with Ravage in your arms." I told her seriously.

 **Chromia POV**

Autumn was not very happy about having to put Ravage down while she transformed. Then to my surprise, Ravage began yowling at her passenger door, once she was in her alt mode. Autumn opened her driver's side door the let the Cybercat in.

"What? That's the wrong one! Where… _Oh_! There it is!" Autumn said before opening her passenger door. I watched in silence as Ravage climbed in Autumn's cabin, and the while incident left me with a lot of questions.

 **:Blue… can you give me a valid reason for her** _ **not**_ **to know how to fully operate her alt mode?:** I asked him suspiciously.

 **:Autumn hasn't been able to spend very much time in her alt mode. The first time she did it, Prowl put her in the brig for using the tarmac without proper authorization. Then he got involved in his reports and forgot about her.:** Bluestreak told me.

 **:He did** _ **what**_ **? It sounds like I need to have a talk with Prowl!:** I sent back angrily.

 **:I even told him he was being a slagger when I reminded him about her.:** Bluestreak sent back sullenly. **:I know he's my brother, and now he's even Autumn's Guardian, but still..."**

 **:Still, he knew better than to do something like that. You needn't worry anymore Blue. Autumn will be well cared for, and she'll be cared for** _ **properly**_ **! The femmes will stand together on that.:** I assured him.

 **:Thank you. It's just… I love her. I love her with all my spark, and I don't want to see her hurt anymore.:** Blue told me earnestly.

 **:I know. I could see just how much you two love each other in the medbay. You mean everything to each other, and I refuse to see that kind of love jeopardized.:** I sent back.

While Blue and I were talking over our comm systems, I watched Autumn follow Sideswipe with Sunstreaker following her around a drift track that had been painted on the tarmac. Suddenly, I got an idea. Sure, it was a bit wild, but I was sure that it had a chance to pay off in high grade.

"Come on Blue! Let's join them." I said with a grin.

Blue grinned at me before we both dropped down into our alt modes. We waited until they came back around, before forming up right next to Autumn. Ravage was sitting calmly in her passenger seat with her optic glowing brightly in delight. I knew that the Cybercat was enjoying this, because that just _had_ to be a fang filled grin on her faceplates.

"Remember Autumn, when it comes to drifting, a screaming tire is a _happy_ tire! Just make sure that it's your _back_ tires that are having all the fun! Your front tires will need to control your direction." Sunstreaker instructed her as Blue took one side and took the other.

Blue and I were fairly good at this, and we matched Autumn's moves perfectly. Three cars wide, we drifted around the various turns that had been painted. Then both of the twins were assuming positions on the outside, and we sailed through the turns five wide, with Sunstreaker continually giving instructions and surprisingly… encouragement.

When the sounds of various cheers reached my audios, I saw that more than half the humans on the island base were watching and cheering us on.

"Do you hear that Autumn? They seem to like your driving!" I told her cheerfully.

"This is _incredible_!" She yelled at what had to be peak capacity of her vocalizer.

 **Autumn POV**

I lost track of time while I was driving. But having Blue, Ravage, and Chromia there was _great_! Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were teaching me how to drift, and then Blue and Chromia had joined in. I felt as tall as Optimus! I _did_ , even though I knew I would only come up to mid thigh on him. Then I heard the voices of some of the soldiers. They were _cheering us on_! It didn't seem to matter to them that I was trying to learn, they still loved what they were seeing. That was _me_ they were cheering for! It wasn't some preppy girl with good looks and lots of money… it was _me_. They were cheering for me, the failure, the pathetic goth that no one had cared about. Maybe things were a little different now, I don't know, but hearing all those men raise their voices to cheer me on sounded better than anything I'd ever heard.

When we finished, I headed to the rec room. Some of the soldiers followed me, along with Blue, the twin gladiators, and Chromia. I grabbed three cubes of energon and sat on the couch holding Ravage. Hound and Beachcomber were watching TV, but commercials were on. I popped open one of the cubes and drank it down fast. Then I opened one for Ravage. I had to tear the top totally off of it so that she could lap it up, and I just had to smile while watching her. It was so _cute_! I love this giant metal kitty, and I know I'm going to be spark broken when I have to give back to who ever owns her.

When the commercials stopped I froze. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were still in the room, but 'The Dukes of Hazard' was coming on! I had promised Prowl that I wouldn't show them this, but I didn't have the remote… Hound did! I couldn't change the channel. I sat there frozen for a full bream before Sunstreaker growled at me.

"Let's go Autumn! I don't want you watching this!" Sunstreaker ordered me nastily.

"W… why not?" I asked him scared to hear the answer.

"Because they _obviously_ can't drive! There is _way_ too much leeway in the steering systems of that vehicle, and they are barely able to control it! The _only_ thing about this farce that is even halfway decent is the opening song, and that could be better." Sunstreaker snarled.

I nodded my helm and started to get up when both of the twins started laughing.

"Oh this just keeps getting worse and worse!" Sideswipe laughed.

"Forget about _us_ … _Prowl_ could teach those cops a _lot_!" Sunstreaker said with a shake of his helm.

"On second thought Autumn, I _do_ want you to watch this! Remember that this is what you are _not_ supposed to do!" Sunstreaker said laughing at the TV.

"Now you know why we like watching this." Hound said. "It's all kinds of funny!"

I sat there sipping on my second cube of energon, watching TV and listening to the snarky, snide, and insulting remarks that were flying around. Listening to what the twins were saying, I can't believe that I had thought this was good driving. I guess that just shows how lousy I really am.

The show was almost over when Prowl came in. I looked up at him over my shoulder, and quailed. He looked as stoic as ever, and I was sure he was mad.

"Prowl! Have you seen this slag? The humans apparently think this is _good_ driving! You'd catch those slaggers in less than a quarter bream!" Sunstreaker said with a grin.

"Yeah, but only if those other cops don't crash into him first!" Sideswipe added with a laugh.

"That's where knowing how to actually _drive_ comes into play!" Sunstreaker replied laughing.

"Am I to understand that you two do not wish Autumn to use this as a learning aide?" Prowl asked.

"Only if it's to learn what _not_ to do!" Sunstreaker answered with a glare at Prowl.

"Very well, I will endeavor to ensure that she does not view this program without your presence." Prowl replied.

"Good! Because there isn't _anyone_ in that show who knows what they're doing." Sideswipe shot back.

That's when the show ended, and I was kind of glad, because I didn't want any fights to break out. I got up and started to leave the rec room.

"Autumn, ratchet wants you to recharge in the medbay for the time being. You aren't being punished or anything like that, he just wants to make sure you're functioning properly." Chromia told me softly.

I nodded my helm and looked down at the floor. Then I saw Ravage giving me a dirty look. At least I _think_ it was a dirty look.

"Ravage will be there with you, and so will I. If I'm not there, Elita, or Arcee will be with you; okay?" Chromia said as I looked up at her.

"So… so I'm _not_ in trouble?" I asked.

"No you're in no trouble at all. Ratchet simply wants to check a few things and he also wants to run a few diagnostics on your doorwings since those had to be completely replaced, and he wants to make sure they function properly. That can be done while you are in recharge." Chromia informed me.

I turned to leave the rec room, but Ironhide was standing in front of me. I didn't even know he was there! How did he get so close without my wings telling me?

"You need to have Jazz work with you on those kicks. Yesterday wasn't terrible, but you could have done a _lot_ better!" Ironhide told me with a pat on my shoulder.

I was shocked! Ironhide had just told me that I could have done a better job of kicking him across the hangar! I was so surprised about that, that I don't even remember walking back to the medbay.


	38. Chapter 38

**Ratchet POV**

Ironhide seemed strangely pleased as I repaired the rather large dent that had caved his driver's side door completely in. I knew without a single doubt, that if a Con had done it, the old Weapon's Specialist would be highly fragged off. But it hadn't been a Con who had caused this damage; it had been a sparkling in an adult frame. A mere sparkling with only a few orns of combat training under her chassis. To Hide, that made all the difference that mattered.

"What are you so smug about?" I demanded irritably, even though I already knew the answer.

"Autumn got the drop on me. She was halfway across the hangar, and sittin down at that. She jumped up and kicked my holoform so fast that I didn't have a chance to react. There's a _lot_ of potential in that little femme!" Ironhide answered almost proudly.

"How is that something to be _happy_ about?" I asked in confusion.

"Simple… if she can get the drop on _me_ from that far away… just think about what she'll be able to do to the Cons once she's fully trained!"

Okay, so he had a point… a slagging _good_ one! I had to admit that, but still… Autumn had inflicted a massive amount of damage to his door, and subsequently his frame, so he didn't really have anything to be pleased about. Especially considering that _I_ was the one who had to _repair_ that damage! It was just this kind of thing that made me _glad_ I had forced him to wait to have that damage fixed.

Once I finally had Ironhide fixed up and out of the medbay, I turned my attention to the frame Autumn was constructing. I decided to ignore the spark chamber assembly, since I had no way of finding out if it would even work without a very powerful spark to put in it. Looking at the other circuits in the frame, I saw that there were quite a few memory modules installed. This was in addition to what would be placed in the helm. What was strange about those memory crystals though, is that there were so _many_! Even the planet wide network that we'd had back on Cybertron didn't have this kind of memory space. That network had encompassed _everything_ known to Cybertronian science, and it hadn't needed a _tenth_ of this much memory space!

I shook my helm on that one, because that was something that I knew I'd never figure out. I started looking at how the torso unit was assembled and saw that this frame would have much greater flexibility than normal. Despite its sheer size, it could very well end up as what the humans call a ' _contortionist_ '. Normally, torso modules are fairly rigid, so that they can house and protect the often delicate circuitry contained inside, but this one wasn't. With as much mobility as a human torso, this unit was positively _filled_ with flex points!

Whatever it was that Autumn was trying to build, this bot was going to be a real power house, with a lot of flexibility, mobility, and memory space for a _lot_ of knowledge and experience. Any one of these features would be an incredible asset to a bot, but to combine all of them in this way added up to something I didn't understand… Primus knows I want to though.

I covered the torso unit back up with the tarp, and went over to sit down at my desk. I had been dealing with that _pit spawned_ paper work courtesy of _Galloway_ for almost two bream when the door opened and Autumn walked in. I looked up and noticed that even though she held Ravage in her arms, Autumn looked like she was in a stupor. An expression of shocked and total confusion was on her faceplates as Chromia followed her into the medbay with an amused expression. Chromia was almost _smirking_ if one were to be honest about it.

 **:What are you looking so smug about?:** I asked curiously..

 **:Ironhide blew Autumn's processors by complimenting the way she kicked his holoform yesterday.:** Chromia answered easily. **:Autumn was so surprised that I thought she might blow a few circuits. We just came from the rec room where it happened as she was leaving. I'm not sure she remembers the walk here.:**

 **:That's quite a feat. I know she's terrified of Ironhide because of that training incident. She probably doesn't like him after the way he called her a glitch while Soundwave was tampering in her processors. I have to admit that she does have legitimate reasons to avoid him. I know he doesn't like it, but it wasn't until I was examining Autumn afterwards that we discovered her true age, and level of maturity. If any one of us had known just a bit more about her, a lot of the problems she's had would never have happened. It's a pit slagging shame that she's gone through what she has, but once we found out a few things about her, we've** _ **all**_ **been trying to help her.:** I sent back as Chromia guided Autumn to a berth and had her sit down on it.

 **:I know Ratchet… Ironhide told me. He still sees her chained up every time he enters recharge. In a way, he feels that he's failed her because she wants nothing to do with him. That half sparked threat to Ravage certainly didn't help his cause any. I know that he** _ **wants**_ **to socialize with her and even befriend Autumn…:** Chromia said before trailing off.

 **:I don't think she'll ever trust him enough for that to happen.:** I sent seriously.

 **:I know… so does Hide. That's something that pains him greatly. To be as young as she is, she's nearly as mature as a youngling. It's something that could never have happened if she had been sparked as a Cybertronian from the beginning. Hide wants to be a part of her development. The first sparkling any of us have encountered in hundreds of vorns, and it hurts him to know that she not only doesn't trust him, but that she doesn't feel safe around him either.:** Chromia said as she walked over to retrieve a cube of energon.

"Here Autumn, you need to drink this." Chromia said with a light smile as she handed the cube to Autumn.

"But I just had some in the rec room. Two cubes in fact." Autumn protested quickly.

"Yes you did… but you still need to drink this one. Your frame can't be fully developed yet Autumn and that's why you need to keep fueling meticulously. If you don't then your power levels will get so low that you won't be able to hold Ravage like you are." Chromia said seriously.

I watched in surprise as Autumn's optics widened for a second. Then she looked down at the Cybercat in her lap before she began drinking the cube of energon. My brow ridges rose in mild surprise at just how smoothly Chromia had maneuvered Autumn into drinking the energon.

 **:You managed that very easily.:** I sent to her.

 **:I've seen that Autumn seems to care more about Ravage than she does about herself, so using Ravage as a reason to get her to refuel was worth a try.:** Chromia sent smugly.

 **Elita POV**

I entered the medbay to see Autumn drinking a cube of energon a bit too fast.

"Autumn, you need to slow down with that. You should only drink it fast when you're extremely low on fuel." I chided lightly. "So just sip on it. The energon isn't going anywhere, and no one is going to take it from you."

Autumn nodded her helm to me while Ravage snuggled closer to her frame. I could see that she had pushed her frame to the limits, and that she would need to recharge soon, but at the same time, she seemed excited for some reason.

"So what have you done since you emerged from recharge?" I asked in an attempt to get her talking to us.

"I… I got to go driving! Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were teaching me how to drift." Autumn said in mounting excitement.

 **:Ask her about the compliment they gave her.:** Chromia sent to me.

I snapped my helm around to look at her in surprise. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe gave Autumn a _compliment_?"

"Yeah! Sunstreaker said I was doing _excellent_ for my first time drifting, and then Sideswipe said that if I keep taking lessons from them that I'll be one of the best drivers on Cybertron! I can't wait until the day after tomorrow so I can go driving and take lessons from them again!" Autumn exclaimed excitedly.

"You mean you actually _enjoy_ taking lessons from those two?" I demanded in shock.

No one _liked_ being forced to deal with the twins on a regular basis. Granted they made some incredible high grade, and even shared it often. But they were well known for a rather surly disposition… and their pranks.

Autumn nodded her helm rapidly. "I sure do! I thought they'd be like Ironhide and try to hurt me some more, but they've been showing me how to drive like a _pro_! I'm no Mario Andretti yet, but they said that when I finish learning from them, I'll be even better than he is!"

All I could do was gape at Autumn in disbelief. For the most part, the terror twins were merely tolerated except on those rare occasions when they were in a good mood.

"The twins are a lot of fun aren't they?" Chromia asked while almost laughing.

Autumn nodded again. "They really are. Sunstreaker goes so _fast_! And he can turn a corner without even squealing his tires. He said that he'll teach me to do the same thing."

I looked over at Ratchet and saw him sitting at his desk with a thoughtful expression on his faceplates. He wasn't saying anything, just watching.

"It sounds like things are going very well for you then. You're learning how to defend yourself, how to drive, _and_ you've got a large Cybercat to hold. What more could you ask for?" Chromia told her.

"Nothing that I can really think of right now." Autumn said as she absently started stroked Ravage after finishing the cube of energon.

"In that case, you should get some recharge, so you'll be at your best for those lessons tomorrow. I don't think Jazz is going to go as lightly on you after that incredible kick you delivered to Ironhide. He was even bragging about it while I was doing his repairs." Ratchet said calmly.

Autumn looked over at the medic like she'd been struck. "He _liked_ me kicking him?" She asked in a shocked tone.

"No. He's not happy at all about being kicked, and he told me that your kick was one of the sloppiest that he's ever seen. The fact that you fought back, and that you managed to catch _him_ by surprise is something that makes him proud of you." Chromia said smiling.

"Really?" Autumn asked quietly as if she didn't believe a single word Chromia had said.

"Yes Autumn, he is. Remember, I'm sparkbonded to Ironhide just as you were to Bluestreak, so I know what he feels. Ironhide is _proud_ of you! He wasn't really trying to threaten Ravage, he was trying to ensure that you stay safe. He knows very well that Ravage is a match for any bot one cares to name. He and Ravage have fought each other many times, but in all of those fights there has never been a clear victory for either one. Ironhide _knows_ how dangerous Ravage can be, and so far neither his cannons nor his skills have allowed him to beat her." Chromia said seriously.

Autumn scoffed derisively. "Ravage isn't dangerous!" She said stubbornly. "She's _cute_!" Autumn added happily as she hugged the Cybercat tightly.

That was when Ravage huffed, before the sounds of whirling parts were heard. Autumn looked down at the Cybercat in her lap and froze as her optics shot wide and her wings rose in surprise.

"Those… those are _missiles_!" Autumn exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, and she also has a plasma cannon too. Those fangs and claws aren't the only things she can fight with. Ravage knows how to be very effective in combat. All Cybercats can be dangerous, but Ravage has been with Soundwave, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that he's taught her some things about fighting." Ratchet informed her with a smirk.

 **Autumn POV**

I stared at Ravage in surprise. I didn't even know she _had_ those! I thought she was just a great big cute and cuddly metal kitty. Well… she still _is_ , but now I know that she also has _missiles_! I mean… _wow_! She'd never even given me a clue that she had those things. She could really mess me up with those things, but she hasn't! Thanks to her, I don't have to dream about getting hit, whipped, or beaten by my father anymore, because she always pushes me away and gets in front of him.

I know those are only dreams, but somehow, I also know that Ravage is really there, and really doing that for me. She keeps saving me from my father. Because of her I don't need to fight recharge anymore. I don't wake up wanting to scream for help that will never come. I don't wake up wanting to run and hide somewhere. I don't wake up wishing that I'd never been born. I don't have to do _any_ of that… because Ravage is _there_! She doesn't have to be there; I know that, but she _is_ … she's there for _me_! She's something I can count on… like I used to count on my bond with Blue.

I couldn't stop looking at those missiles. Then there was the sound of moving parts, and whirring motors as she put them away. She looked at me with her single bright red optic, and I could almost swear she was looking into my soul… if I even have one. I don't know anymore. I tried to sell it a few times… all I wanted was for him to stop hurting me so much. I wasn't asking for all the time… just _some_ of it! It never happened. Then Blue found me tied up in the woods. I guess that's when everything started changing.

I was taken away from my father who always tormented me. I was given my voice back. Then I turned into a bot, and bonded with Blue. Jazz started teaching me how to fight, and that is something I _really_ want to learn so I won't ever have to put up with being treated the way my father had treated me. After I started hearing the voices and having the dreams of that purple bot doing something to my processors, they took away my bond with Blue. I have a Guardian bond with that scary aft Prowl now.

There's only a couple of bots that I can trust. I trust Blue, because I know he loves me, and because he isn't any good at lying, and he can't seem to keep any secrets from me; not when I was human, and not when I was bonded to him. I think I can trust Jazz. I mean, he's nice to me, and friendly, and doesn't really seem to want anything from me. Prowl… I don't know. Sometimes he seems nice; other times… he's a… a… _slagger_! _That_ was the word Ratchet used. He's a slagger sometimes. I can't help but remember when he put me in the brig… all I know is that I can't _ever_ go back there!

As for these three femmes that arrived recently… I don't know. They seem to like me, I guess. That blue one… Chromia, I don't think I want her mad at me, because even _Ironhide_ won't argue with her or fight back… and she knocked him down… _twice_! As scary as he is, she has to be worse. I think I'm starting to like Arcee and Elita though. They don't seem to get as uptight as some of the others.

Then, there's Ravage. She showed up the same solar cycle as the femmes, and she's been with me since she got here. Okay… so that's not _quiet_ true… she's stays in the main room while I visit the washrack. Somehow she just _knew_ that Ironhide scares the slag out of me, and she wasn't going to let him get close enough to do anything. I've seen her teeth, and her claws, but I had no idea that she had missiles too. She was ready to fight Ironhide just to keep him away from me. She even makes sure that I take in my fuel. I know I need it, but most of the time, I just don't want to drink it. I can't cut my wrists anymore to let the stress and hurt flow out of me with the blood… so the only thing I know I can do is not take my fuel like I'm supposed too… it hurts, but not like the cuts did. It doesn't feel the same, and it's not as effective as cutting was when I was still human, but it helps some because that sharp ache lasts for as long as I don't refuel.


	39. Chapter 39

**Ratchet POV**

Autumn was sitting on the berth with Chromia and Elita watching her as she looked at Ravage with an almost puzzled expression on her faceplates. I could see that the missiles Ravage was equipped with had surprised her. Apparently, Autumn didn't know about them. Leave it to Ravage to keep secrets from everyone. That doesn't surprise me at all. Primus only knows what secrets Soundwave has learned over his long function. I'm sure his symbionts have learned how to keep secrets by taking lessons from him.

Autumn finally stopped her surprised staring when Ravage rose up and shoved the top of her helm against Autumn's chin. If it had been any other Cybercat but Ravage, I would say that the scene in front of me was adorable. I couldn't help but wonder if Soundwave knew about it, and if he did, what he thought. Ravage snuggled up to Autumn, and it was immediately obvious that the Cybercat had merely been showing Autumn how wrong she was about Ravage not being dangerous.

It made me wonder. Soundwave had been in her processors, deleting everything from Autumn's mind. Her memories, knowledge, skills, and all were being systematically deleted. Then, Soundwave discovered how young Autumn really is, and not only restored her to what she had been prior to his interference, but provided programs and other things that she needed. Now that mech has defected to the Autobots. He has joined our cause strictly to watch over and protect Autumn. That is why he's assigned Ravage to be with her constantly. Not only is Ravage present to protect Autumn from any possible threats, but also from her own feelings of inadequacy. That has to be a near constant battle for the Cybercat, because Autumn tends to view herself as being expendable. If only she could be shown just how far from the truth that really is.

Suddenly, Ravage was squirming out of her arms and darting across the medbay. Before I or anyone could react, she was chasing a turborat. As soon as Autumn saw Ravage going after something about the same size as a German Shepard, she screamed. Ravage didn't allow that scream to distract her though. She caught that pit spawned turborat, and offlined it with one solid bite to the back of the neck.

"I am _so_ glad you caught that thieving thing! It's been stealing energon, parts, and tools from all over the base!" I said with a grin.

Ravage merely looked over at me and bared her energon coated fangs as if to grin at me. Oh, it looked like a snarl, or any other nasty expression, but somehow, I think she was grinning at me. Ravage turned her attention back to the turborat and prepared to eat it.

" _No_!" Autumn screamed loudly. "You don't know where that thing's been, or what it's been doing! It's filthy, disgusting, and there is no way in the _pit_ that I'm letting you eat it! That thing was probably swimming in sewage for all you know!" She added as she quickly stormed over to the Cybercat.

"Autumn, Ravage is a Cybercat. They are well known for offlining turborats. Turborats are well known for stealing just about _anything_ that they can carry. They especially like nice shiny objects. Now I know you don't want to take the chance that a turborat like the one Ravage just killed would steal that mirror that Blue gave you, now do you?" Chromia asked her softly.

Autumn turned around to face Chromia with a stricken expression on her faceplates. Her right servo covered the subspace pocket in her upper left arm.

"N… no… never!" Autumn stammered quietly.

"Then it's a good thing that Ravage just offlined one. You don't have any objections to her doing that now do you?" Elita asked as she chimed in.

"She can offline all the turborats she wants, but I'm not going to let her _eat_ one of those filthy things!" Autumn protested.

"Then what do you propose to give her instead?" Elita asked calmly.

"I… I'll give her some more energon… or I'll get some more wafers and treats from Jazz. I'll find _something_!" Autumn protested as she walked over and picked up the offlined turborat by its tail.

Autumn tossed the thing in the recycling hatch, and I could see that Ravage was _not_ pleased with that action. Then Autumn walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a cube of energon. Before anyone could say _anything_ she had torn the top off of it and was offering it to Ravage.

My optics shot wide when I realized that she had grabbed a cube of high-grade. It's possible that Soundwave had given some to Ravage before now, but I had never seen it.

"Autumn…" Chromia began in a calm gentle tone. "You do realize that's high-grade don't you?" She asked as Ravage began to lap it up rapidly.

Autumn shook her helm. "No. What's high grade?"

"High-grade is our version of Scotch, Bourbon, Vodka, or Whiskey. It is an intoxicant, and I have no idea how Ravage will respond now that she's gone through the whole thing." I told her quietly.

"Ravage… you're not a … a _mean_ drunk… are you?" Autumn whispered in an almost frantic stammer.

As soon as Ravage finished _devouring_ that cube of energon, she was snuggling deeper into Autumn's lap while enjoying the strokes and petting that Autumn was giving her. The relief that began to show on Autumn's faceplates was more than a bit surprising to me, until I remembered her sire. Soon enough Autumn lay down with Ravage on her chest plates. Once she was in recharge, Ravage leapt down and curled up in a corner to attend to her own recharge.

 **Jazz POV**

I walked into the medbay to talk with Ratchet about Autumn. I sure didn't expect to find Ratchet and Elita watching her work on some bot's frame.

"Hey dere Lil Lady! What ya workin on?" I asked her jovially.

I was surprised when I was completely ignored by Autumn. She was usually pleased to see me, but right now, she was acting as if I wasn't even there. She kept building an arm on that frame, and as I looked at it properly, I could see that she was constructing a _huge_ frame from scratch.

"Jazz, we don't think that's Autumn. I won't deny that it's her frame, but I don't think she's the one controlling it right now." Elita told me softly.

I looked over at her sharply. "What do ya mean dis ain't Autumn?"

"Remember me saying that there are two separate and distinct personalities within Autumn's personality core? Well I think this might be that other personality. I can't be sure on that because even Soundwave can't get a read on it." Ratchet told me.

"Wait… _Soundwave_ can't read dis?" I demanded pointing at Autumn. Those words from Ratchet made me step back a bit. That was more than just surprising… that was just _frightening_! I knew Soundwave was a telepath, and that if he was close enough to you, it didn't make a single bit of difference what kind of firewalls a bot had, he could find out what he wanted to know. If that bot couldn't find out _anything_ , it meant that Autumn's other personality either had some _seriously_ good firewalls, or that second personality was a telepath of unprecedented power… either way, that wasn't a good thing.

I reached out and started to grab Autumn's servo. I didn't move fast, but it was a deliberate action. I wanted to get her attention, so I could ask her some questions, and maybe find out what was going on. I didn't get that chance.

As soon as I touched Autumn's servo, that same hand moved in a blindingly quick flash. Autumn had _never_ moved like that, and it was too fast for me to block! First I was struck right at the base of my throat, and then just beneath my chest plates by the same servo I had tried to grab. I stepped back real fast and watched for a second before turning to face Elita and Ratchet.

"Who ever it is… that _ain't_ Autumn! I haven't shown her those strikes. Slag, I haven't shown _anyone_ those strikes! Either one of those can kill a bot with a single hit. She barely touched me, but she just proved that she _could_ have killed me if I had actually tried to stop her." I told them seriously.

That was when I saw that Autumn had turned her helm to look at me. Her face was almost blank, but her optics were very dim, like there wasn't enough power being fed to them or something. Autumn didn't say anything, but after a second of looking at me, she turned back to building that frame.

"I suppose then, that we should allow her to construct a frame that that will greatly out power Megatron or even Devastator?" Elita asked me in a carefully neutral tone.

I studied the bot in front of me for a bream or two. Yeah that was Autumn's frame all right, but it wasn't Autumn controlling it just then. Who ever this was, they were intent on building that frame. Autumn… I _say_ Autumn, even though it's not her… had never stopped working. The torso was completed, and one arm was getting the final touches. I had no doubts that the second arm would be finished before the lunar cycle was complete.

"Ah could be wrong, but Ah don think it's gonna be a problem. If Autumn- _B_ wanted ta kill meh, she woulda done it. She didn't kill meh… slag… she didn't even _hurt_ meh! All she did was let meh know dat she _could_ have. Ah think if she was a threat, den she wouldna done tha. She woulda played dumb until she got that frame up an runnin, so she'd have some serious back up. As it is, Autumn's frame don't have any weapons, so she'd have to rely on bare servos ta go through all o us. Ain't _nobody_ dat good! She knows dat, an she knows dat _we_ know dat! If she can build a frame tha way she is, and fight like Ah jus saw, den dere ain't no way she's stupid enough ta try anything." Jazz explained.

"You make a good point Jazz. Do you think we can trust her?" Elita asked in concern.

"Ah don see why not. She ain't tryin ta hurt nobody, an she ain't threatenin any one either. Ah say let er keep on doin what she's doin. Who knows dat big aft bot might just end up on our side _if_ she can evah get it runnin." I said easily.

"That's the part I fail to understand. Why even build a frame with that setup, when there is no spark to put in it?" Ratchet asked.

"Ah don know, but somehow Ah got the feelin Autumn- _B_ is gonna take care o dat when the time comes." I answered.

 **Autumn POV**

I came online feeling a strange weight on top of me. When I onlined my optics to see what it was, I saw Ravage's face right in front of me. She was so close that our olfactory sensors were almost touching. That was when she licked me right across my face; from my chin up to my chevron. I guess as soon as she saw my optics online, she decided to go for it. I couldn't help but giggle as I pulled her into a nice warm hug.

But seriously… did I just _giggle_? I know that I'm different now since I'm a bot, but I didn't think I'd ever find a reason to be _happy_ about something! _Ravage_! She must be the reason I did it! All I know was that I seemed to be acting a bit different today. I feel happy for some weird reason, and the only thing I can think of is that Ravage is here.

"Nice ta hear ya laughin Lil Lady."

" _Jazz_!" I shouted with a mock pout as I sat up. "I can laugh if I want to. Besides Ravage's tongue tickles. Oh… wait… it's called a glossa isn't it? Well that tickles too!"

"Ah nevah said ya _couldn't_ laugh… Ah just said it was nice ta hear." Jazz said with a grin. "So when ya gonna do it again?" He asked me with a suddenly serious face.

I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing. Jazz was easy going and always joking around, so that when he tried to be serious it was funny. For some reason, him and Ravage were always making me smile, even when there were times I didn't feel like smiling.

I was starting to realize that I had lost _everything_! I couldn't go home, because I had no parents. My Mother was killed when I was little, and I still had nightmares about seeing that happen. My father had killed himself; there wasn't anything at my house that I could use anymore; there were some clothes that I couldn't wear; a few pieces of cheap jewelry that I had bought at a garage sale. I wasn't lucky enough to have a laptop, cell phone, or even an ipod. I didn't have my own TV or even a radio… all I had was me. I couldn't even go see my Aunt. She was all I had left of my Mother besides a few hazy memories, and she wouldn't even recognize me. I was truly alone. Not that it mattered, no one really cared about me anyway… no one except Blue, and my bond with him got taken away. What had I ever done to deserve this?

' _You were born.'_

' _Negative! You are cherished and loved by many. You are even cherished by some that you do not like.'_

I knew that first voice. It was the same one I'd always heard; the one that always told me how sorry and pathetic I was. That second voice though, I'd never heard before, but it sounded really, _really_ serious! It was cold, like there were never any feelings at all in that voice, and that scared me. Having one voice in my head that was always telling me how lousy I was, was one thing, but now there was another one arguing with the first. This was proof that I had lost it.

'If someone out there really loves me then who is it?' I thought in bitter anger.

' _Jazz, Prowl, Ratchet, Ravage, and Bluestreak love you. You are cherished by Optimus Prime, Elita-1, Arcee, Chromia, Hound, Beachcomber, and even Ironhide.'_

Now I _knew_ that voice was full of it! Ironhide hates me; I'm not _totally_ stupid because I can see that! I don't know why he saved me when I was still human, but I bet that it was only because he was _told_ to!

' _He's just waiting for the chance to crush you and you know it, don't you?'_

' _ **Negative! Autobot Ironhide requested assignment to Sparkling Care Center in Altihex. Greatly enjoyed assignment of working with Sparklings and Younglings prior to war. Autobot Ironhide was unaware of Autumn's true age, upon acquisition of that information, Autobot Ironhide became fierce defender of Autumn. Autobot Ironhide would allow himself to be permanently offlined to prevent harm to Autumn. Verification of truth from Autobot Ironhide requested.'**_

That first voice was only telling me what I already knew, but this second one had suddenly gotten stronger, louder, and even _more_ serious! It was telling me to ask _Ironhide_ how he really felt about me! Somehow this second voice was familiar, and I didn't want to argue with it. That didn't feel right, because I knew that I _always_ wanted to argue with people who told me to do something, and now that I had my voice back, I _could_!

Next thing I know, I'm in the main hangar with Ravage in my arms. I was watching Ironhide talk with Prowl about something, before Prowl looked over at me and walked away. I looked up at Ironhide and walked over to him. I was really scared, but I was mad too. The more I thought about everything he'd done, the more fragged off I got.

"I want the truth! How much do you hate me?" I demanded tersely.

 **Ironhide POV**

"What?" I couldn't believe what Autumn had just asked me.

"How much do you hate me?" She shouted as she repeated herself.

"I don't." I answered in surprise. "I don't hate you at all. Look Autumn, I messed up. What I did was wrong. What makes it worse is that it was you. You didn't deserve that, no one does. I was going through… it doesn't matter what my problem was. It doesn't excuse what I set you up to go through. I took one look at you, and I saw an adult bot; someone who would know how to use their frame to the best advantage. I didn't even think about how old you really are, and I should have." I told her honestly.

"Do you _really_ mean that or are you just trying to get my trust you can make me into a sparkling factory?" She demanded angrily.

I stepped closer to her, took her helm in my servos to make sure she was looking at me. I was fragged off now. Slag! I was more than that I was fragging _torqued_!

"Let's get one thing straight! I don't care who it is. _Anyone_ ever tries that kind of thing with you or any other femme, and I'm going to beat them into scrap metal. I'll take my Primus slagging sweet time about it too. Then, I'm going to use my cannons to blast the pieces into oblivion, until the only thing left is their guttering spark laying on the ground. _That_ is something I will step on and slowly grind into _nothing_! _No one_ is going to be a sparkling factory if I have anything to say about, _especially_ not you!" I growled in a soft deadly whisper.

"Look Autumn, you're just a kid… a sparkling. I know I didn't see it before, and I'm sorry about that, I really am. You're just a kid, and you deserve a chance to have some fun… _all_ kids do! You may not be an actual sparkling, and you might have the frame of an adult, but you're not even a vorn old yet. You're a youngling. You need to be protected, cherished, and treated like the treasure you are, because younglings like you are the future of Cybertron. I don't care about _anything_ your father might have said about you; I don't care what _you_ think either! You are _important_! Listen to me Autumn, _you_ are an important part of Cybertron's future, part of the future for the entire Cybertronian _species_! Whether you like that idea or not, doesn't matter, you're still important to every bot on this base. That fact that you even _exist_ is something that gives us hope that there _is_ a future for Cybertron! Yeah Autumn, you're just a kid. Because you're a kid, it shows us that there is still something worth fighting and finishing this war for. You are a part of our future. Every time I look at you, I see hope for a better future that for a very long time, I didn't think could exist, but when I see you, I see a possibility that I want. That's what you are for many of us Autumn, hope for the future… a _better_ future! How could I possibly hate you?" I said before I wrapped my arms around her in a hug.

That was when Ravage started this rumbling purr that reminded me she was in Autumn's arms. I'd forgotten all about that Cybercat, but right after she started purring, Autumn started crying. I let her. That was when I noticed Elita, Jazz, Ratchet, Chromia, and Arcee watching us. Jazz was looking a bit smug, and I couldn't blame him. No matter what anyone ever said about him, they would all agree that he was a _lot_ more intelligent than he let on.

Ratchet and Elita were smiling. I knew it was because they were glad that I'd finally gotten a chance to interact with Autumn in such a way that neither of us would need repairs afterwards. Chromia was watching us with approval in her optics. We'd talked about this; about Autumn in general, and about her situation. I knew that she liked Autumn as much as I did, and we were both glad that she was here. I'll admit that I have been a _lot_ harder on her than I should have been. I didn't even know that she was only a sparkling until that solar cycle that Ratchet told us. I thought she was an adult femme; young, but still an adult. When I learned that she was barely more than a fifth of a vorn… I could have kicked myself. I should have known… _slag_ I should have _seen_ it! So she had an adult frame, I still should have seen that she is no more than a sparkling.


	40. Chapter 40

**Autumn POV**

I was still crying. It was hard for me to believe that I was holding Ravage while Ironhide was holding _me_! I… I guess that new voice was right about this one. I was pretty sure that Ironhide wasn't lying to me. I mean all that stuff about me being part of a better future, and … he called me… _important_! Me! The Goth, the failure, the waste of everything… me… Important. How could I be important? I'm nothing special, I'm not an excellent fighter like Chromia, really pretty like Arcee, or beautiful like Elita… I'm a nobody.

Ironhide held me in a tight hug until I stopped crying, then he held me back a bit so he could look in my optics. "You need to go let Chromia check you over."

I nodded my helm and walked over to Chromia after Ironhide let me go. She was looking at me with a small smile on her faceplates. "I know everything that was said to you Autumn. You don't have to believe a word he said if you don't want to. My advice? Make him _prove_ it!"

I gaped up at her in surprise. "How am I supposed to make him prove it? Can't you tell if he's lying?"

Chromia gave me a gentle smile as she placed her servos on my shoulders. "Of course _I_ can tell if he's lying or not, but that doesn't do _you_ any good, now does it?"

I shook my helm as I looked up at her.

"So the question is, should you believe him or not? Well the answer to that is, you make him prove it. You allow him to be around you, and sooner or later, he'll do something that will show he was telling you the truth, or lying to you. Either way, you'll have an answer. That answer might be one you won't like, but then it might be one that makes you happy; only time will tell. In order to find out for sure though, you'll have to give Ironhide a chance. If he shows you that he was telling the truth, then you'll have a friend you can count on, and if he blows it, then that will be his loss, because I certainly enjoy your company."

 **Arcee** **POV**

I was really glad that Elita had commed Chromia and I as soon as Autumn left the medbay, because I was able to hear everything Ironhide said to Autumn. I know that what he told her is true, but I can see that she doesn't really believe him.

I watch as Chromia examines Autumn, and I see that Ratchet is also observing closely. He's concerned about the same thing we are. Autumn's frame might be that of an adult, but the materials are a different matter. Autumn is composed of materials that are common to sparklings. They are easily repaired or replaced, and don't take near as much energy for the bot in question to develop them, but they are _far_ more fragile and easily damaged. This can be a serious problem because Autumn is somehow more prone to damage than any other sparkling I've heard of.

Ratchet told us of a theory about why Autumn was converted into a frame that is composed of weaker materials. Apparently, Autumn's conversion from human to bot came very close to killing her as it is. Had the conversion taken place with materials that are standard for an adult frame, she would never have survived to complete even part of the transition. From what Ratchet said, the process was such that Autumn was placed in so much pain that she couldn't make a single sound to alert anyone of the agony she was experiencing. What made the situation worse was that she didn't say anything once she had regained the ability to speak. She may have believed that if she complained too much that she might have been offlined. It was something that made all of us worry about her.

Once Chromia finished examining her, Autumn turned to Jazz.

"I'm ready for training now… I guess." Autumn said softly.

Jazz's smirk grew into a wide grin. "Well, see dere Lil Lady. Tha's where ya gotta problem. Cause ya ain't trainin taday, and ya ain't trainin tomorrow neither."

"What? Why not?" Autumn asked in a horrified tone looking as if someone had hit her.

"Dis is gonna be a weekend for ya. So now, ya gotta figure out what ta do ta have some _fun_!" Jazz told her.

Autumn had a very strange expression on her faceplates when that piece of information sank in.

"So what ya gonna do?" Jazz asked ultra seriously.

Autumn burst out laughing. I couldn't really blame her for that. I was even chuckling a bit. Jazz is _very_ funny when he wants to be, and he was in rare form this solar cycle.

Autumn was still laughing when Bumblebee walked into the hangar. It's been a while since he's been able to come to the base, but he had two humans with him. They were sitting on his shoulders. Bee's optics lit up when he spotted us. It's been many long vorn since I've seen him.

"What the slag happened to you? How did you manage to break both bones in that wrist?" Ratchet demanded suddenly.

I looked over at him to see that Ratchet was completely focused on the female who was sitting on Bee's right shoulder.

I knew that this human was called Mikaela, and that the male was Sam, but I had not actually met either of them yet.

"That's a long story Ratchet, but it was well worth it!" Mikaela said with a satisfied smile.

"What do you mean 'it was well worth it'?" Ratchet demanded angrily. "How can breaking your wrist be worth doing?"

"Well see… there's this girl at school. Her name is Sharon Miller. She's considered one of the most popular girls at school… well she _used_ to be. Three weeks ago on Monday, she came to school laughing, and cracking jokes about a broadcast that had interrupted half the stations on cable TV. I knew exactly what broadcast she was talking about since I saw it and so did most of the other students." Mikaela began to explain.

I knew just which broadcast she was referring to, since there was only one which had been on so many frequencies simultaneously. The thought that someone could joke about such horrors made my spark burn with rage and my energon run cold at the same time.

"Anyway, Sharon was joking about it, and saying that ' _Demon_ ' got exactly what she deserved. I hauled off and hit her as hard as I could! Right where her jaw met her skull. I might have a broken wrist, but her jaw is wired together, and she lost three teeth. That rotten skank will be eating through a straw for the next two months. I got suspended for a week, and ISS for a second week, but so what? The whole _school_ congratulated me! Even some of the others that would pick on Autumn weren't happy to learn about what her father had done to her at home." Mikaela said with an angry shake of her head.

"I just wish I had found out when she first started school with us. She spent the night over at my house once. She was nice. I mean, yeah, she had to write everything down anytime she wanted to say something, but my parents liked her and said that she was very polite to them." Sam said sourly.

"If I had known what she was going through, I'd have brought her to my trailer. It wouldn't have been the best place to live because she'd have had to share a room with me, but that would _have_ to be better than what she went through at home." Mikaela said sorrowfully.

"All I can say is, the guy better be glad that I never found out, because I would _certainly_ have told my mom, and _she'd_ have gone after him with Excalibur!" Sam exclaimed smugly.

"He better be glad he's dead then, because your mom can scare _Megatron_ with that bat of hers!" Mikaela retorted.

"Anyway, Bee said that Autumn is still here on base. I owe her one hell of an apology. I mean… _I_ never actually did anything to her, but I didn't stop the ones who _did_ either… and I should have. _God_ I wish I had!" Mikaela explained as her eyes started getting wet from tears that were almost ready to fall.

At that point Bee reached up and placed both humans on the ground, and Sam moved closer to Mikaela so that they were standing right next to each other.

"Well Sam, Mikaela… this will sound very strange, and if you find it hard to believe I can understand, because I'm still not sure what caused it to happen or even _why_ it happened." Ratchet began heavily.

"What do you mean? Tell me she's not dead?" Mikaela exclaimed almost desperately.

"No… Autumn isn't dead; not even close, but you wouldn't recognize her anymore even if you were in the same room with her. She's changed… a _lot_!" Ratchet said seriously.

"Oh come on Ratchet, she can't have changed _that_ much in a few months. She's probably gained a bit of weight, and more than likely, she's got a few reasons to smile now, but I'm sure I'd still recognize her." Mikaela retorted.

"Actually Autumn was somehow converted into a Cybertronian femme. The why and how she was changed are things I still haven't figured out, but she is a Cybertronian now." Ratchet said quietly.

I could see looks of confusion on the faces of the two humans as they tried to understand what had just been said to them.

"You mean… are you saying that she's an Autobot now?" Mikaela finally asked with the beginnings of hope on her face.

"Yeah Da Lil Lady is a femme now. In fact, tha Lil Lady ya wanna talk to is standin right dere!" Jazz chimed in with a smug grin while pointing at Autumn.

 **Autumn POV**

When Jazz pointed me out to Mikaela and Sam, I looked over at them in fright, I knew… just _knew_ they were going to start calling me a freak, or Demon or any of a million other things.

"Autumn… Mondschein?" Mikaela asked hesitantly.

I could almost swear that I heard hope in her voice though, and that was just plain _weird_!

"Yes… that's me." I answered glumly.

"Thank God!" Mikaela sighed in obvious relief.

"Look, I'm sorry. I should have realized what a shallow bitch Raquel really was a long time ago, and I didn't. I don't know if you still love your dad or not, but I'm sorry about that too. Look, I really don't know how to say this. But it's like I was just going with the flow and minding my own business, when someone threw a bucket of ice cold water on me to wake me up. Now I know what was happening to you and I feel… I feel like _I'm_ the one who should have gotten slugged! You _damned_ sure didn't need that crap going on at home, but when you add in the crap you were taking at school too… well it's a miracle that you're still alive, and I'm honestly glad you are. I know you didn't have any friends at school, because there isn't _anyone_ who can ever remember just hanging out with you. I _should_ have been a friend to you... I should have been there for you. You hear on the news all the time about some kid committing suicide because they were getting bullied at school. I think you had it a lot worse than _any_ of them, and I'm sorry. I know we weren't friends, but I… I'd like to be your friend now… if you'll let me." Mikaela said as she fought back her tears.

I was stunned and didn't really know what to say. I think maybe that's why I said the first thing that came to mind.

"The only reason I miss that drunk slob of a slagger is because he could have told me about my mother." I said angrily.

"He… he said he made you watch while he killed her… is that true?" Sam asked me looking like he was about to puke.

I didn't know what they wanted me to say, so I just nodded my helm. That was one of the very few things that I could actually remember about my mother… and I wish I couldn't.

Sam looked even more like he was going to be sick. I couldn't understand why, since he wasn't the one who had to put up with everything.

Suddenly Mikaela looked up at me and gave a halfhearted smile. "You're here now… with the Autobots, and I'm very glad to know that."

"Why?" I asked in confusion.

"Because they won't let any of that crap happen to you. I know some of them can scare the life right out of you when they want to, but they're really great people." Mikaela told me.

"How do you know that?" I asked somewhat skeptically.

Mikaela smirked at me and raised one eyebrow. "Hello? Look where I'm sitting. Bee said he's the youngest Autobot alive, and he's over thirty thousand years old. Ironhide and Ratchet are the two grouchiest ones I've met, and Ironhide didn't even kill Sam's Chihuahua for pissing on his foot right after they got to Earth. They may talk tough, but that's it." Mikaela finished wryly.

I had to think about that for a minute. I remembered how Jason or Ironhide had busted down the door and snapped the chains to get me out of that room. I remember how slagged off he was. I remember thinking that he was slagged off at me; that he was going to kill me… but he didn't. The only things I could remember was how gentle he had been while putting my armor on for the first time, and how bad I got damaged in my first training session. Then I thought about the apologies he had given me. If he hadn't even killed a tiny toe biting dog for pissing on him, then that would mean that he _meant_ what he said… didn't it? I didn't know. I wasn't sure what to think anymore. Somehow everything just seemed to be crashing down on me. I'm not human anymore, and my father is dead, so I don't have to put up with the things he always did to me, but for some reason everything just felt… _worse_.

"You… you mean that… don't you?" I asked her softly.

Mikaela nodded her head. "Of course I do. Bee risked his life to save me and Sam just a few hours after we met. He _knew_ that Sector Seven was out to capture him, and that he'd get caught if he helped us. Sam and I fell more than thirty feet. We would've hit solid concrete, and you know that we'd have been _lucky_ to die instantly. Bee caught us. If he hadn't, Sector Seven never would have caught him a few seconds later. He didn't hesitate; he didn't stop to think about it, he just did it. I'm alive because of him. Okay so maybe the fall _might not_ have killed me, I would have ended up with so many broken bones I'd still be in a cast. Bee didn't let that happen. That's the kind of people the Autobots are. They're heroes, whether they admit it or not."

 **Mikaela POV**

Autumn seemed to think about what I said for a minute or two before she nodded her head. She acted like she was still scared for some reason. That was when I remembered how her father had said that the doctors and police had always given Autumn back to him. The teachers and counselors at our school had never helped her or even tried to help her either. After going through that for her whole life, she wouldn't trust an adult as far as a baby can throw one. That was when I suddenly realized something… she'd never had _any_ friends! She couldn't have… all it would take is for one person to get suspicious and her father would have spent the rest of his life in prison. So she won't trust an adult… I don't know if she sees the Autobots as adults or not… she probably does, since they're a lot older than she is. Well, since she won't trust adults, and she's never had a friend before… it means I need to step up to the plate. What everyone did to her is _beyond_ wrong. What _I_ did to her is also wrong… I mean, I didn't really do anything to her, but I didn't stop it either. I just looked the other way, and I shouldn't have. Oh _God_ I shouldn't have! If I had said something, done something… maybe… maybe this could have been stopped sooner, and Autumn would never have gotten raped.

It was kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that she was an Autobot now. Talk about _weird_! Not that she's a freak or anything, but… wow!

"So… do you like being an Autobot?" I asked her. I mean, it's not an easy question, but what else am I supposed to say? It's not like I need to ask about how things are going at home.

"Well it's a lot different because I'm not getting beat up all the time. I don't have to try to stay away from my father anymore, and I'm even getting to learn new things. Jazz is teaching me how to fight, and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are teaching me how to drive. So I guess I do." Autumn answered after thinking about it for a second.

"So what do you change into?" I asked trying to get onto a better topic than what we started off with.

"It's a Ferrari Dino Concept. I still have to figure out how everything works though." Autumn answered with a wry grimace and a shy tone.

"Don't stress your systems over it Autumn, you're learning, and that's what matters. No one expects you to learn everything all at once, so don't even try. Just take your time and learn things right. You've got a very long life ahead of you Autumn… plenty of time to learn." Said a white and rose colored bot.

"My friends and I have heard of you, but we haven't met. My name's Elita-1." She said smiling as she introduced herself.

"I'm called Arcee." Said the purple and silver one.

"My name is Chromia, and we've heard a lot about the two of you, and I want to thank you for defending Autumn even though she wasn't there." The sapphire blue one told me.

"You know… honestly, it wouldn't have mattered who she was talking about; that stuff should _never_ have been said… about _anyone_! Certainly not about someone I've met." I said with a frown.

"That alone tells us a lot about what kind of person you are Mikaela. There are many people who would simply do nothing, and gone about their way, but you didn't. It shows me that you will be a good friend for Autumn to have." Elita told me with a smile.

"Sam and I met her a while back. We had a long talk and told her the truth about Mission City, plus we got to know her a bit." I admitted with a grin.

"She seemed like a normal kid. I had no idea all that crap had been happening to her at home. I had a nice time talking to her." I added.

"I liked talking with you too. I never had any friends growing up, so I guess that makes you and Sam the only friends I ever had as a human." Autumn said softly.

"Oh… I forgot. I think one of you dropped some kind of spike looking thing in my room." Autumn told me quickly.

"What kind of spike looking thing? I don't remember anything like that." I said in confusion.

"It wasn't very big, but it would have made a beautiful pendant… if it hadn't vanished." Autumn answered.

"Wha'd it look like Lil Lady?" Jazz asked quickly.

"It was about an inch and a half or two inches long. Made of metal, and covered with some weird symbols on two sides with the third was kind of melted. It… it uh… it disappeared in my hand after I picked it up." Autumn said nervously.

"Tha explains a bunch!" Jazz said softly.

"Yes, it does. That had to be a fragment of the Allspark, which would explain her transformation from human to bot, and the Allspark radiation she exhibited prior to her change." Ratchet mused before turning to Autumn. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"I… I didn't think it was important. I only just now remembered because I thought one of them dropped it." Autumn answered sounding nervous.

"Leave her alone Ratchet, she's got enough on her mind right now. Believe me, the kind of crap she's had to deal with doesn't go away just because the cause did." I snapped at the medic.

"Hey Jazz, I've got a cube of high grade that says Mikaela is just the femme Autumn needs to be around." Ironhide said with a laugh.

"Ah ain't gonna be takin dat bet, Hide. Cause Ah can tell right now dat ya callin a sure bet, an Ah don't like losin." Jazz laughed in return.

All of the bots except Ratchet and Autumn laughed at that.

"I have to agree with you Ironhide. Besides, Autumn will always need good friends." Elita said chuckling.

That was when I noticed the strange huffing sound coming from the thing that Autumn was holding. I wasn't exactly sure, but I could see what it _looked_ like… only one way to find out.

"Okay, so what do you have in your arms Autumn?" I asked her with a grin.

Apparently, I had asked the right question, because her whole attitude changed instantly.

"This is Ravage, she's a Cybercat… and she's _cute_!" Autumn said in a girlish squeal.

Something wasn't right here. I couldn't put my finger on it, but Autumn wasn't acting the same way she had at school. There, if you started something, she was usually ready to finish it. There had been a few times that she'd just smile after getting hit. It was like she was telling you that whatever you just did to her, wasn't even good enough to make her mad. Now… it was almost like she was a little kid again. She was unsure of herself, nervous, hesitant, and she seemed _scared_. This wasn't like the Autumn I remembered. Had something happened to her during the change from human to bot, or was the crap she had gone through finally hitting her now that she didn't have to put up with it anymore?

I don't know what the problem is, but knowing what I know now, I can't just stand by and do nothing like I used to. Yeah, the events of Mission City changed me. I used to just mind my own business, and do my own thing. Now? I can't do that anymore. In Mission City, I became a part of something a whole lot bigger than one small person. There, I was part of a group of heroes that helped save the world. Yeah, I know… I didn't really do all that much except steal a towtruck so I could get Bee out of there. Then, we ended up going back, because I just couldn't abandon those I had come to call my friends. I used the towtruck to act as his legs so he could take care of business by shooting the bad guys. It worked out pretty well. Call me weird, but that change is something that has stayed with me. I think it made me grow up a bit, become more responsible. Whatever the reason is, I'm a better person now than I was before. There is something wrong with Autumn, I don't know what it is, but it's there. I can help her with it, I'm sure I can, and because of that change… I _have_ to try!

I looked up at Ravage who was in Autumn's arms, and tilted my head a bit as I examined her.

"You know… she _is_ cute in a 'Steampunk' kind of way. She looks like a giant metal panther." I admitted.

"She's a great big kitty!" Autumn told me happily.

"Maybe to _you_! She's even bigger than I am, and even _lions_ don't get as big as she is!" I retorted quickly.


	41. Chapter 41

**Mikaela POV**

"Well… she's… she's from Cybertron. I… I guess things are a lot bigger there." Autumn suggested with a hesitant stammer.

I couldn't believe this. Granted, I hadn't been one of Autumn's friends in school, because she didn't _have_ any. That doesn't mean I don't know what she was like from observation, because I _had_ seen her almost everyday. I had to know… and I had to know _now_!

"Okay, Autumn… what the hell happened to you?" I demanded.

She looked at me like she was confused about something.

"I'm not stupid Autumn, and I'm not a _blonde_ either, so don't try to play me for a fool! Back in school Sharon would try her best to slap you silly, and you'd just _grin_ at her! Her _best_ wasn't even enough to piss you off! You'd get tackled and the fight would be on, because you'd make _sure_ that whoever did it was hurt worse than you were! The reason everyone always called you _'Demon'_ is because you scared the _crap_ out of people! It never mattered how bad you were outnumbered, if they were bigger than you, or a better fighter than you… you would _never_ back down! It didn't matter how tough they were or how bad they were, or what they did to you, because you'd just smile and motion for them to try again. Now you're acting like a scared little two year old when all I'm doing is being friendly. Right now I couldn't even hurt you if I broke a baseball bat over your head. So what changed?" I demanded in exasperation.

" _I don't know_!" Autumn shouted at me.

She sat down cross legged with Ravage in her lap and buried her head in Ravage's shoulder. Ravage turned her head to look somewhere else for a minute before looking back at me. Somehow, I just _knew_ that if I made one threatening move towards Autumn, that the oversized metal panther known as Ravage, wouldn't hesitate to shred me in to little pieces. That was when I heard it. The sound of sobbing, and I knew that Autumn was crying.

"Autumn, listen to me. It doesn't matter _how_ it happened, okay? I just want to know what it was so that we can somehow… _fix_ it!" I said in a softer voice.

Autumn lifted her head to look at me with tears in those optics of hers. "You… you mean that… don't you?" She asked doubtfully.

"Yes Autumn, I do." I said before I laughed sardonically. "I didn't break my wrist on that bitch's head for nothing."

Sam and Ratchet both snorted at that. I could almost swear that they were trying not to laugh, but Ironhide didn't bother to conceal anything, because he was chuckling.

"You shouldn't have done that. I'm not worth it." Autumn said softly.

I could feel it as my face fell. I knew what had happened to her. Oh God… I actually _knew_ what the problem was… and I didn't know if I could help or not. Her father had finally broken her. Her spirit, her indomitable will, her 'never say die' attitude, her heart, and maybe even her mind had been broken by her father's constant torture. I guess when he tried to kill her, it was just too much for her to take.

I could feel the tears glistening in my eyes as I put my hand over my mouth to keep from crying myself. The next thing I know, I'm babbling away.

"He finally did it didn't he? He broke you. You went through absolute hell and kept right on fighting, but he finally broke you." I whispered in horror.

I'm not a psychiatrist, or a shrink, and I don't know where to even begin to help Autumn with this kind of problem, but I can't… I can't leave her like this. She's gone through _way_ too much to give up now!

"That appears to be the case Mikaela. Without having known Autumn prior to her presence on this island, we couldn't recognize the problem. Now… thanks to you, we know what the problem is, and _that_ is something we can help her with." Chromia said as she stepped over to Autumn and started rubbing her doorwings.

"Chromia speaks for much more than just herself Mikaela. Chromia, Arcee, and I have only been on Earth for a few of your days, but in that short amount of time, the three of us have come to care for Autumn greatly. The problem that _you_ see is one that we are familiar with, and one that we know how to correct. If there is a way that we can show our thanks, simply name it." Elita said seriously but kindly as well.

My mind was racing as I thought about what Autumn needed. Sure, I'm no shrink, but then I figured that she could do with participating in some of the things that normal people did. That's when it hit me, and I couldn't stop the grin.

"Okay…" I said smugly. "In that case we're going to do a ' _girl's night_ ' tonight. That means _only_ girls and femmes allowed. I'm sure we can keep the males away, so that means me, you three, and Autumn as far as I know. Now who else?"

"Can I bring Ravage?" Autumn asked me.

When she asked me that question, she sounded like I was going to beat her while I said no.

"Is Ravage a female?" I asked with a sarcastically stupid look on my face to which Autumn nodded in answer.

"Then yes she can come along, because it's _females_ only… _whatever_ the species. Now I've heard that it's supposed to be a clear sky tonight. So we can head up to the cliffs and have our little girl's night there. How does that sound?" I said cheerfully.

"I've never heard of a ' _girl's night_ ' before, but it sounds like a wonderful idea. We should have done such things back on Cybertron. I take it that this is a human custom?" Arcee asked me with a smile.

"Sort of." I answered easily. "It's more like… it's more like something women do to get away from men for a while. Relax, let our hair down, and not worry about whether or not we're being sexy enough to attract the particular man we want." I added after thinking about it.

"It's not actually a custom or tradition, but I'm pretty sure that most women have done it at least once… well except maybe for Autumn. I doubt she's even been to a sleep over." I said with a frown.

"I… I never have been to a sleep over… so I don't know what to do at one." Autumn said nervously.

"Don't worry about it Autumn." I told her seriously. "All you have to do is relax, have a good time, and improve your friendships with the others who will be there."

"That's what a sleepover is… it's also what a 'girl's night' is about… having fun." I added with a smile.

 **Chromia POV**

"That sounds easy enough." I replied.

I knew that both Elita and Arcee were _very_ glad that Mikaela was here… I was too. She had quickly recognized a problem with Autumn. A problem that we hadn't been aware of, simply because we weren't aware that Autumn had changed. That was when I heard Elita on the comm. system. She did _not_ sound pleased to be relaying this information, and I couldn't blame her, but at the same time, Autumn _needed_ for others to know.

 **:This is Elita-1 to all Autobots currently in range. The reason behind the apprehensive and fearful nature of Autumn has been revealed by a human femme who knew Autumn prior to her arrival on base. Sadly… it seems that Autumn's spirit has been broken by the actions of her sire. We already know that this condition can be treated, and that Autumn can recover her natural personality with time, kindness, and compassion.:**

I could tell from both her voice and expression that Elita was _not_ happy about having to send that message.

 **:Is there any type of corroboration for this assumption?:** Prowl sent quickly.

 **:This assessment comes from Mikaela who was formerly an associate of an antagonist of Autumn's. Apparently Autumn's entire nature has changed from one who was willing to defend herself against** _ **any**_ **odds… to one who will not defend herself at all.:** Ratchet answered quickly. **:I know this to be a fact, because I've even had to defend Autumn from** _ **herself**_ **!:** He added.

 **:That is… unfortunate… When I introduced myself to Autumn, I could see that she was indeed very nervous and timid. However, she was somewhat defiant later, and was placed in the brig for disobedience of regulations. I have issued an apology to Autumn for placing her in the brig, and I have attempted to correct the mistake I made in preventing her from the enjoyment of her first time to try her wheels. When Bluestreak and I arrived to remove her from the cell, she appeared to be more of a victim of the Decepticons rather than a bot who was simply placed in the brig for a violation. I observed then that she seemed to have been broken.:** Prowl sent heavily.

 **:From what Mikaela has just told us, there can be no further doubts that Autumn's spirit has in fact been broken by the torment that she's endured…:** Elita began before she was interrupted by Prowl.

 **:I do not believe that the constant torment was the deciding factor. It would appear that the constant torment** _ **was**_ **contributory; however… the first attempt at permanently offlining Autumn was prevented by Bluestreak. Autumn was unable to completely recover from that before being subjected to a second attempt to offline her which included captivity and repeated rapes. Both attempts were clear and obvious to her in their intent to end her existence. The second attempt was a** _ **blatant**_ **escalation of Autumn's foul treatment. The captivity and multiple rapes would have been considered torture even without the fatal injury she suffered. There is a ninety-two percent probability that it was this final attempt which broke her.:** Prowl sent quickly.

 **:I'm forced to agree with that. Autumn was mute and unable to plead or reason with her assailants. They brutalized her in such a way that if she had not been converted into a Cybertronian, that she would never have given birth to children of her own. When I… told her about that… she was actually** _ **relieved**_ **! As if she were glad that she would never bring a child into the kind of life she had experienced. Chromia… you know how to deal with a sparkling. Since we know now that Autumn is broken, you will need to help build up her confidence again… we** _ **all**_ **will!:** Ratchet sent seriously.

 **:I am instructing** _ **all**_ **Autobots are to assist in this! I do not know why or** _ **how**_ **the Allspark changed her from human to bot, and at this point, I don't care either. Autumn has been given a chance to be happy for once in her life. Now that she is a Cybertronian, I want her to see that we are** _ **not**_ **like her sire; that she will not be made to endure such treatment. Prowl I want you to revise Autumn's schedule to account for what we now understand her problem to be, and advise the rest of us from there. We** _ **will**_ **help Autumn as she learns to cope with this problem.:** Optimus ordered firmly.

 **:Designation Soundwave reporting. Autobot Autumn's mental status confirmed. Memories of previous personality include stubborn persistence, intentional defiance, and obvious hatred of authority figures. Analysis of current personality; terrified of authority, fearful of strangers, and constantly wary. Emotional state of Autobot Autumn; timid, fearful, and extremely depressed with certainty of having been abandoned. Self esteem is non-existent. Use of telepathy to repair emotional damage… ill advised. Current level of femme involvement; inadequate. Autobot Autumn craves companionship of authoritative femme along with emotional support of said femme.:**

I couldn't but look over at Elita after hearing that statement from Soundwave. She was clearly as surprised as I was. Neither of us could believe that Soundwave had verified Autumn's mental state. None of us trusted Soundwave; not him or his motives… but now… now he was telling us that _we_ were the key to helping Autumn. The strange thing was that Soundwave also said that he shouldn't use his telepathy to alter Autumn's mental state. I had no doubts that he'd still monitor Autumn, because knowing how she felt and what she was going through would be vital to helping her.

I was glad that the entire conversation over the comms had taken place in less than a human second, because Autumn wouldn't suspect that a conversation had just held regarding her.

"That it is. So… what do you four need to gather up so we can spend a night under the stars?" Mikaela asked with what I could tell was a forced smile.

 **Elita POV**

I have to give Mikaela my respect. She admits that she doesn't know Autumn all that well, but she isn't going to allow that sweet sparkling to suffer as she has been. In mere moments, Mikaela has taken charge and begun to arrange something that Autumn wasn't able to participate in when she was human. That means that this event _should_ mean a lot to Autumn. I can see that she is looking forward to it, even though she has no idea what she's supposed to do. I don't either, but from what Mikaela has said, it should be simple enough.

The comm. from Soundwave is somewhat disturbing to me. According to what he said, the three of us will need to become a lot more involved with Autumn… _especially_ myself. Soundwave didn't actually _say_ it… but Autumn _needs_ her Carrier. Unfortunately, she was rendered offline while Autumn was forced to watch. That means it is now important for _me_ to stand in as Autumn's Carrier. I can't replace that femme, and I won't even try! Autumn would never forgive me if I attempted such a thing… and honestly… I don't think I could forgive _myself_ for doing so. Still, I can be a substitute for her. To my knowledge, Autumn is the _only_ sparkling to exist within the past sixty-thousand Earth years. That alone necessitates every effort to ensure her survival and health.

"Well, we're going to need some energon if we're going to be out all night, and Autumn could use some additional minerals in hers. I can also check to see if Wheeljack has managed to start making mineral wafers yet… if he has, then we can bring some of those as well." Chromia mused.

"Good! I'll grab an ice chest and fill it with what I need, and then we can all head out. Anyone got a particular place in mind?" Mikaela asked with a grin.

"Can… can we go to the cliffs?" Autumn asked softly.

As Mikaela looked over at Autumn her grin became a wide smile.

"A night under the stars with friends, and the waves crashing against the rocks below…? That sounds _good_!" Mikaela said with a nod.

Three bream later I walked back into the main hangar where Autumn, was still sitting with Ravage in her arms, and Arcee was quietly stroking her back.

I knew that I had obtained several cubes of energon from Ratchet, and that Chromia was checking with Wheeljack to see if he'd managed to produce and mineral wafers. I actually hoped that he had, because Autumn was _very_ fond of those. Ratchet had told me that Autumn had _somehow_ faked her energon consumption right in front of Prowl. It was a practice that would severely degrade her frame. The fact that she considered the mineral wafers to be better than energon treats was an incredible boon. Not only would those wafers provide the minerals that Autumn needed for her frame, but she would be forced to fuel properly while eating them. As soon as Chromia and Mikaela returned, we would be ready to head up to the cliffs.


	42. Chapter 42

_**Author's Notes; Guest, Rung might well be a good choice for helping Autumn, but I have someone else in mind who can actually do a better job of it. As for who that someone might be… well you'll just have to read on.**_

 **Mikaela POV**

When I finally made it back to the hangar, all four of the bots were there waiting for me… well five if you count Ravage. I had an ice-chest with me and a backpack of clothes. Yeah, we're going to spend a lot of time near the ocean and I'm _not_ supposed to go swimming or do a bit of sunbathing? Yeah… _right_! Almost as soon as I walked in Elita told me that they were ready to go. All three of the older femmes transformed, and my eyes lit up at the sight of no less than _three_ Lotus Exige cars sitting in front of me. Then Autumn put Ravage down and transformed. I knew… just _knew_ that my jaw was on the ground. A brilliant emerald green Ferrari Dino was sitting in front of me and I was about ready to start drooling. Okay, so hot cars are supposed to be more of a guy thing… but I'm a mechanic, and I have stripped more cars than I can mention, sometimes after stealing them with my dad. The fact is, I know a nice machine when I see one, and Autumn was one _seriously_ fine automobile!

" _God_ I wish I could drive!" I said in a soft wistful voice while staring straight at her.

"I'm not very good yet… so you… you probably know how to drive better than I do. Just… just promise me you won't crash okay?" Autumn replied hesitantly.

"You're _kidding_ … right?" I asked in shock. "You…you'd _really_ let me drive?"

"As long as… if… if you promise not to crash." Autumn answered in a scared tone.

"Autumn, you have my absolute promise on that. I _swear_ that we won't crash!" I said truthfully with my eyes still wide in surprise.

"Okay." Autumn said as she opened both doors.

"Mikaela, go ahead and put your ice-chest and bag in my seats, and I'll carry them for you, since Ravage is going to be taking up Autumn's passenger seat." Arcee suggested.

That was a good idea. I put my stuff in Arcee's seats and noticed that _none_ of them had any back seats at all. I went over and got in Autumn's driver's seat and couldn't help it as my eyes were drawn to Ravage. That metal panther was taking up the _whole_ passenger seat! Now that I was up close to her, I could see that Ravage was _huge_! She didn't look that huge in Autumn's arms though, and I had to think about it for a second before I realized why. Autumn was big enough that Ravage looked like an oversized housecat when Autumn was holding her, but now? Now Ravage was sitting next to me and she was huge.

I was still staring at that giant metal panther when Optimus knelt down next to the car and started talking to me. I was glad that the windows were already down.

"Mikaela, I know that you will not allow an accident to occur while you are driving, but I need you to understand that Autumn's frame is still very fragile compared to ours. The materials she is composed of are much easier to replace, but they are also much easier to damage. Autumn is very important to us for many reasons, not least of which is her young age. By human reckoning, she is approaching the age of adulthood, but by _our_ reckoning and standards, she is a newborn infant, and would be under careful observation by adult bots to prevent her from coming to harm. The _only_ reason I am allowing her such privileges is because she _was_ a human and has matured according to human development. That does _not_ mean that I am willing to place her at risk. Is that understood?" Optimus said seriously.

I nodded and smiled at him as I replied. "Optimus… you know good and well that you won't have to worry about her as long as she's with me. I did a pretty good job of dealing with Frenzy, and I was a big help to Bee when his legs were blown off. Besides Chromia'll be with us! Hide told me that she's even better in a fight than he is. Then there's Arcee and Elita to consider. Somehow I don't think they'll go down very easy."

Optimus huffed and gave me a small but still sad smile. "You're absolutely right Mikaela… they _won't_ be defeated easily. I shouldn't be worried about Autumn tonight, but I am. She is a Cybertronian ow, and therefore she is under _my_ protection. I know there's not a bot on this island that wouldn't protect Autumn, but that _still_ doesn't stop me from worrying about her."

"Well just relax Optimus, Autumn will be fine. Between me, Arcee, Chromia, and Elita… we got this covered. And if Ravage is _anything_ like an Earth cat, someone's going to have a _serious_ problem, because cats are _sneaky_!" I said as I reassured him.

"I don't know if she's sneaky or not, but Ravage has missiles too!" Autumn exclaimed.

" _Missiles_?"

"She showed those to me this morning. Chromia also said that she has a plasma cannon too, but I haven't seen it." Autumn confirmed.

I snapped my head around to stare at Ravage with wide eyes. "As if those metal fangs and claws aren't enough! Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Chromia? How… how do I let Mikaela drive? I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Autumn asked hesitantly.

"That's easy Autumn, just start your engine and let Mikaela work the controls. You don't have to help or anything, but don't try to stop her from using them either. Once she starts trying to do something, you'll feel the difference. You'll know that you can stop her just by refusing to allow those controls to move as she wants them too." Chromia answered easily.

"Okay… I… I can do that."

I couldn't help being pissed at the whole situation. Autumn didn't have _any_ self confidence anymore. The more I heard her say, the madder I got. _No one_ deserved this… especially not teens like me, her, and Sam. It isn't right, but there also isn't a whole lot I can do about it either. Elita said that the Autobots know how to deal with Autumn's problems, and I can only hope that's true, because honestly? I'd like to be friends with the Autumn I remember, she'd make for a kick ass bot that would give Ironhide a serious run for his money.

Autumn started her engine, and that V-8 sounded _awesome_! Okay, so the Dino is a lower end Ferrari with a V-8 instead of a V-10 or V-12, but they still looked stylish and lines that just _screamed_ speed and performance! I couldn't help but be more than a little turned on by the sound of her engine. I'll admit it… if I was a guy… I'd have a raging hard on right now; she sounded that good. I knew I had a big stupid grin on my face, and I was almost drooling at the thought that I was about to _drive_ one of the hottest cars in the _world_! Orgasm much? I sure felt like I was about to!

I looked over at Ravage with a smirk on my lips and a gleam in my eyes. "Ravage…" I said before waiting until the metal panther looked over at me. "you might want to hang on somehow."

"Oh Primus." Autumn said softly.

I had no idea what that meant, so I revved up the engine and popped the clutch for a tire squealing exit. I only let the tires spin for a couple of brief seconds to heat up, once they had, I let off the gas to let them get traction, and took off like a rocket.

We tore out of the hangar like a rocket sled on rails. I knew Arcee, Elita, and Chromia were right behind us, because I could see them in formation through my side view mirrors. All three of them pulled up on the right hand side as we sped down the tarmac. Four wide we flew down the tarmac at speeds that would get us thrown under the jail back in the states. I let off the gas just enough to drop back a bit, then I let off completely as I threw the car into a spin. I don't know how many times we spin in circles. Autumn was yelling something, and I was caught up in a mix of a scream and laughing at the same time. It was a scary thing to do, but there wasn't _anything_ we could hit, so this was actually a safe place to pull a stunt like that. It was something I'd wanted to do for a long time, but outside of Salt Flats in Utah, I didn't know of any other place to try it… until now. When we finally slid to a stop, I realized that Autumn was laughing, but then so was I.

"Mikaela… if you are through playing perhaps we can finish heading to the cliffs for this 'night out'?" Arcee told me.

At least I _think_ it was Arcee! Everything was spinning so fast that I couldn't have made a straight line with _anything_ to save my life!

"I'd love to Arcee, but I'm so dizzy right now that I couldn't walk or drive a straight line if I had to!" I answered with a laugh. "I can't even _see_ straight right now."

"Well, I don't see any reason to doubt your word, because I'm _Chromia_ , not Arcee!"

"Sorry! I don't recognize your voices yet, and I too dizzy right now to see who said what."

"I didn't get dizzy at all." Autumn said mournfully.

"You didn't? Not at _all_?"

"No." Autumn answered quietly.

"Okay… _I'm_ the one who needs to be green right now. Although whether that's green with envy, or green because I'm getting seasick, I'm not sure."

"Mikaela if you're going to puke… please, _please_ puke on the runway and not in me!" Autumn said in a pleading tone.

"Relax Autumn, I'm not about to puke, but I don't think I'm going to try that again either."

"Why not? That was kinda fun." Autumn said in an almost hurt tone.

"I'm not gonna lie… that was an absolute _blast_! But I think if I go through that again, I _will_ be puking, and I don't think you'll have time to stop and let me out so I can, and I am _not_ going to puke on you or _in_ you!" I answered with a smile as the world quit spinning.

"Thank you."

A stupid line went through my head at that point and I started laughing _hard_. "Autumn, I started to say _'what are friends for?'_ , but then I realized just how stupid that would be. Friends _don't_ puke on each other unless the puker is totally drunk off their butt, or they both are. Since we're both sober, puking isn't allowed." I said when I finally stopped laughing.

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now? We get it in gear!"

 **Autumn POV**

I couldn't help but want to grin right along with Ravage as Mikaela shoved my accelerator pedal to the floor. She popped the clutch and we started off with my back tires screaming. It was strange, because the lessons that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had been giving me kept coming to processor.

' _As soon as your tires begin to spin let off the acceleration just enough to regain traction. That way you'll have the fastest take off you can manage.'_

Yeah, they had taught me the fastest way to take off, but it wasn't half as fun as what Mikaela was doing. Okay, so we weren't moving very fast, in fact we were just creeping along, but my tires were screaming like a banshee the whole time. My aft was sliding from one side to the other and Mikaela was working my steering wheel to keep us going somewhat straight. We were both yelling because it felt so good. This wasn't like my lessons from Jazz or the Twins because I didn't have to pay attention to anything… all I had to do was have fun. Mikaela was making sure that I did.

By the time she was through, there were strips of rubber over _one hundred_ yards long on the tarmac! She and I were both laughing about it. It felt good to laugh, to forget about everything except what was happening right then. It was great, but I knew that sooner or later, everything would come crashing back down on me, and that thought scared me.


	43. Chapter 43

**Arcee POV**

We parked at the cliffs with the ocean's waves crashing on the rocks below us. There were trees behind us and the sounds of the birds that flew over head. It was a very picturesque setting, and I knew that Mikaela had chosen a perfect location. We had plenty of space to transform and walk around if we wanted to, and the steep cliffs made a slow gentle slope down to our left that met a small beach that was nice, quiet, and secluded.

Here was a place and time that Autumn wouldn't be under any type of pressure to learn something or act in a specific way. This was perfect for her! As soon as we rolled to a stop, Elita and Chromia both transformed. Autumn opened her doors and after Ravage and Mikaela got out, she was able to transform as well. The first thing Mikaela did was grab her things from my cabin. Then she set about building a rather large, for her, bonfire. Proportionately, it would have been a normal sized campfire to us.

It didn't take long for the flames to begin dancing merrily, and Mikaela promptly began to remove her clothing.

"Mikaela what… what are you doing?" Autumn asked once Mikaela was completely nude.

"I'm changing into my bikini. What? It's not like I have anything you didn't used to have, so I _know_ you've seen everything before!" Mikaela responded wryly.

"Yeah… well what _you_ have looks a whole lot better than _mine_ ever did!" Autumn retorted sourly as she sat down heavily.

Mikaela had been about to put on the bikini bottoms when she heard that. That was when she turned to Autumn and walked over to her still devoid of any clothing.

"Look Autumn. There was a time when I thought I should change a few things about the way I look. I seriously thought that I had made a mistake by telling Sam. Turns out that I didn't. The next day… he was showing me _tons_ of porno sites. Everything from disgustingly huge chests to flat chests that drooped to the woman's waist line. Big noses, feet, hands, long hair, completely bald, toes, piercings, tattoos, large eyes, and… it didn't matter _what_ kind of thing I thought might be wrong with the way I look, there was a porn site for _exactly_ that feature! There was everything from horribly huge to hideously skinny! It doesn't matter _what_ you look like… there are a lot of guys who will find it very sexy." Mikaela told her honestly.

"Even if I was about as ugly as Medusa?" Autumn shot back.

"Autumn… Sam showed me sites that I never imagined, and never, _never_ want to see again! For every webpage about worms or anything else… there are ten _thousand_ porn sites on the internet. There's even _alien_ porn out there, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that some guys are getting off right now on pics of Medusa." Mikaela said seriously.

I watched in silence as Autumn sat down hard. I could tell that she was very surprised at what Mikaela had told her. I had to use the web to find the meaning of some terms that Mikaela had used, and once I understood what was being discussed, I wasn't happy at all.

 **:I don't think it would be wise to interrupt them just yet. It's pretty clear that Mikaela is telling Autumn something she thinks Autumn needs to hear.:** Elita sent firmly.

"Autumn… there's not a girl or woman on this planet who doesn't think there is something about their body that they want changed. There's a _reason_ that plastic surgeons are _stupid rich_! Besides… it doesn't matter _what_ you used to look like… you're a freakin _Ferrari_!" Mikaela finished in firm excitement.

I was very surprised when Autumn gave a sort of half smile. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Hey, look." Mikaela said as she started putting her bikini on. "So you're not a Testarrossa, or an Enzo, you're still a Ferrari, and that means you are _better_ than most of the cars in the world, now doesn't it?"

I could see Autumn frowning as she considered that, but I could see that she didn't actually believe it. "Autumn, if you stop and think about it, you are _much_ better than _any_ car built by humans… because _you_ are alive, and they aren't." I told her, adding to Mikaela's remark.

"Hey, she's got a _really_ good point there! A dragster can outrun you, but it can't out think you, and neither can anything else. I mean come on… you can think faster than anyone ever _born_!" Mikaela grinned as she finished donning her bikini.

"Maybe you're right." Autumn said softly.

It was obvious that she didn't really believe that, but half sparked agreement was much better than outright denial. I could see right now that Mikaela had no plans to allow Autumn to continue to be the timid sparkling I knew. I was glad to see that. It meant that perhaps Mikaela could be included in Autumn's treatment. Rebuilding the self-confidence of Autumn would not be easily accomplished. After seeing that confession from her sire, she knew that helping Autumn would _not_ be an easy or rapid thing, but by Primus it _would_ be accomplished!

"I know she's right, Autumn. Human built machinery isn't able to think at all, and now that you are a Cybertronian, you'll be able to think much faster than a human. You'll live hundreds of times longer than they will, so you will learn far more than any human ever can." Elita stated gently but in a firm tone.

"Okay, now I'm _really_ jealous!" Mikaela almost shouted. "All you have to do is hear something one time… just one lousy _time_ … and you _know_ it! All you have to do is pull the information up just like you'd do on a computer at school and there it is. _I've_ got to wrack my brains to learn something new, and there's _still_ a chance that I'll forget it!"

"I didn't ask to be changed into this… I _swear_ I didn't!" Autumn almost wailed as she reached out and grabbed Ravage, pulling the Cybercat in to her lap.

"I'm sure you didn't Autumn, but that still doesn't change who you are. Yeah, you look a lot different… you're a Cybertronian now, and you're a _freakin Ferrari_! What's not for me to be jealous of?" Mikaela answered instantly.

"I… I don't know." Autumn said softly as she sat for a few moments while stroking Ravage.

 **:Don't interrupt them just yet; let those two continue to talk. Mikaela is actually trying to help Autumn, and she's doing a marvelous job so far, because Autumn is now being forced to compare herself with the human she used to be. Such a comparison can only turn out favorably.:** Chromia sent firmly.

"At least you still get to eat real food." Autumn groused sullenly.

"Maybe, but _I_ still have to worry about getting fat, getting diabetes, or a thousand other diseases that can't be cured. You? You won't get fat, you'll be here long after my great, great, grandkids are dead and gone, and you've got friends that will stick by you for thousands, if not _millions_ of years! Sounds to me like a fair trade." Mikaela said disgustedly.

"If you say so." Autumn muttered.

 **Chromia POV**

"I _know_ so!" Mikaela shot back. "Now, we came out here for a Girl's Night Out, and to have some fun! This isn't a 'Pity Party', and I'm not going to let it turn into one. Party Poopers aren't allowed, and _you're_ staying! That means you have to start being a little happier. Oh, by the way, you heard about the moron's new invention didn't you?" She asked with a sly grin.

"No… what was it?" Autumn asked curiously.

"A solar powered flashlight! No batteries or anything to wear out." Mikaela answered quickly.

"I don't think I'm understanding this correctly. If there is no way to store the energy produced by the sun, then how does it provide light when you need it?" Elita asked in real confusion.

I couldn't help but agree with her confusion, it made absolutely no sense at all. If the sun is shining, then why would you need an additional but much smaller light source?

Mikaela and Autumn both looked at each of us before turning to gape at the other. Autumn started making some _very_ strange noises, and she let go of Ravage to place her servos over her mouth.

"Autumn, are you alright?" Arcee asked immediately in concern.

That was when Autumn fell backwards onto her back with her doorwings splayed out and started laughing… _hard_! I looked over at Mikaela intending to ask what was going on, only to find that she was _also_ twitching with laughter. I looked over at Elita and Arcee to see if they understood what was happening, but they looked just as confused as I was. That was when Mikaela sat down holding her stomach while laughing even harder.

It took them a few minutes to get control of themselves, but once Autumn was finally able to speak with out laughing, she looked over at Mikaela.

"The joke wasn't all that funny, but their reaction _is_!" Autumn howled before she was kicking her pedes because she was laughing so hard. The strange thing was, Mikaela was doing the same thing.

 **:Don't say anything yet; I want to see how long we can keep Autumn laughing. Apparently our confusion over this joke is something she is finding hilarious, and I want that to continue. So look even more confused if you can.:** I sent quickly to the other two.

The other two femmes took that suggestion to spark, and immediately adopted expressions that were completely lost. I altered my own expression to match theirs, and that's when Autumn started laughing even _harder_!

"Since it was obviously a joke, would one of you _please_ explain it to us?" I asked in what I hoped sounded like exasperation.

"Well Chromia, a moron is an idiot, an imbecile, or basically someone who's too stupid to know much of anything. That's why they come up with something that is absolutely useless. Like ejection seats for a helicopter… people lost their heads over that one." Mikaela told me wryly.

"That's _gross_!" Autumn complained loudly.

"I suppose it is, but then most jokes are either gross or sick in some way." Mikaela told Autumn. "Now, let's head down to the beach and catch some sun. The weather back home isn't good for getting a tan right now."

"But I can't get a tan… can I?" Autumn protested.

"No Autumn, you can't get a tan. We Cybertronians don't get tans, but we can still benefit from exposure to natural sunlight. Just as humans convert sunlight into vitamin D, we convert sunlight into a form of energy that helps to revitalize and repair our systems. Humans are able to get too much sunlight, but we can't." Elita told her quickly.

"That means you can't get a sunburn either, doesn't it?" Mikaela demanded before turning to Autumn with a mild glare.

"You are one lucky _bitch_!" Mikaela told Autumn flatly. I was about to come unhinged on Mikaela when the human femme continued.

"You'll never have to deal with a sunburn. You'll never have to try getting a top on red peeling skin. Never have to shave your legs when they're already so sensitive to touch that even a pair of jeans hurts. No more head colds or allergies or _anything_! Then, on top of everything else, you're a _one hundred thousand_ dollar car! If that isn't lucky Autumn, then you tell me what is!" Mikaela said firmly.

Autumn simply looked at Mikaela without saying anything. Not that there was anything she could say or do to dispute what the young woman had told her. I had to admit, that Mikaela's tactic was _vastly_ different from what we were planning, but I could see where it would help. Mikaela was illustrating differences in Autumn that made her _physically_ better than a human. It seemed strange, but I could see where Mikaela's method could actually work. That, once combined with the subtle reinforcement we would be using could be of great help to Autumn.

 **Mikaela POV**

"Come on… let's head down to the beach and catch some rays." I said as I turned to my left and headed down the hill farther away from the base. I could hear Autumn and the others following me as the cliffs got shorter until they smoothed out into a nice sandy beach.

This was the _perfect_ place to get a tan! It was a nice wide beach with fine white sand, the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliffs off to the right, and completely secluded. Hell I could even do some sunbathing if I really wanted to, but I wasn't too sure if one of the others would object to me lounging around in my birthday suit.

I spread a large beach towel out and started applying some tanning oil. The blue one, Chromia, started laying out some large tarps that would do the same thing for them that a beach towel did for me. I only had one bit of a problem… that stupid cast on my right hand. It only goes half way up my forearm, but it's going to _ruin_ a perfect tan! It was right then that I realized I had another problem… I had no way to put any tanning oil on my back. I looked at the others and saw just how large their hands were. It didn't look like it was going to be an easy thing for any of them.

"Um… can one of you help me put some of this oil on my back?" I asked as I looked up at the others.

"I suppose I can. What do you need me to do?" Elita asked me.

I explained what I needed and Elita spread the tanning oil on my back. She was very gentle about it. It only took her a couple of minutes before she was done. When she finished, I laid down on my towel with my head towards the center of the circle that Chromia had arranged. We were all on our stomachs so that we could look at each other while we talked. We lay there for about an hour without speaking though, because we were all enjoying the sun.

"Autumn… tell me, what's the best memory that you have?" Arcee finally spoke as she soaked up the sun's rays.

"I don't know if it was a few of the times I had with Blue or the memory of my mother singing to me." Autumn answered after a minute or two. "What's yours?"

"I think… I think I'd have to say meeting you, Autumn. Because the mere fact that you exist proves that there is hope for a future, and for a very long time any future I could look forward to seemed to be very bleak." Arcee replied easily. "What about you Chromia?"

"Well… I have quite a few memories that I treasure; bonding with Hide, and taking care of various sparklings before the war. Finding out that we have a new world to call home after the devastation of Cybertron. Getting here and finding out that there is a youngling waiting for us? All of those can be considered good memories." Chromia said with a smile.

"I'm not really sure what my most cherished memory is because I have quite a few of them. I do plan on adding more to the list though, and I am hopeful that Autumn will become a part of them." Elita stated.

"Amen sister!" I exclaimed quickly. "Autumn went through enough hell that _I_ saw for her to need some good memories to look back on."

"I… I have some good memories." Autumn protested. "Almost all of them are from here on this island though." She added quietly.

"What pleasant memories do you have from before you got here?" Arcee asked.

"I remember my mother singing to me. I remember her face, her soft beautiful smile, and her wonderful voice. One day, I remember giving her a small white flower that I'd picked, and her telling me what a sweet girl I was. That… that was right before my father killed her by hitting her until she died. I remember how much blood there was… it was everywhere and all over me too." Autumn told us softly. "I think I was four when that happened."

 _Holy Crap! That bastard had said that he'd made her watch while he killed her, but I didn't know she remembered it! Talk about messed up! A little kid shouldn't even watch a murder flick and_ no _one should have to watch one of their parents get murdered like that!_ I thought angrily.

Looks like Autumn's life was even more messed up than I figured. That was something that was going to change, and I knew that the bots would help.


	44. Chapter 44

**Elita POV**

We all lay there for quite a while sunning ourselves. Mikaela had turned onto her back some time earlier. It was at her insistence that we did _not_ keep track of time in any way.

"This is _our_ time to ourselves, and no male of _any_ kind is going to interfere with it! There isn't anything we have to do that has to be on a time schedule, so we can relax and have some fun. We'll go back some time tomorrow when we get good and ready." Mikaela had said sternly.

Mikaela had spent about one of the human's hours on her stomach, and another on her back before she suggested building sand castles.

"What are sand castles and how do we build one?" I asked interestedly. I had to wonder about that because the sand that I could see was not suited to any type of construction.

"Sand castles are pretty much any thing you build out of sand. Get it wet and it will stick together so you can make things out of it." Mikaela answered with a grin. "They even have contests where some of the sculptures you see are outright _amazing_!"

I looked the term up on the human internet and what I discovered was very surprising. I could see from the widening of their optics that Chromia and Arcee had also found what I had. It seemed very hard to believe that so many things, and some of them very impressive, could be somehow sculpted from this sand, but I doubted that such awards would be presented for any type of subterfuge.

"Aww _crap_!" Mikaela exclaimed disgustedly.

"What? What's wrong?" Autumn asked in concern.

"I didn't bring a pail, shovel or _anything_ to build a sandcastle with!" Mikaela said sourly.

"I have a couple of empty energon cubes in my subspace. They can be used to carry both water and wet sand. Couldn't they be used instead?" Chromia asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I mean there's no _law_ that says you have to use a pail or bucket. Let's try it." Mikaela said with a shrug.

Chromia quickly removed four empty cubes from one of her subspace compartments. Taking the tops off was easy. After that we were able to use the flat tops from the cubes for smoothing purposes, and the cubes themselves to move a _lot_ of wet sand.

For the next three hours, the five of us were engrossed with moving and sculpting wet sand. Me, Chromia, and Arcee built a small scale map of Iacon. At twenty feet across and seven feet high, it was massive and very beautiful. Okay so Arcee would admit that we'd cheated a little. Using the heat from an unfired plasma cannon to fuse part of the surface of the sand into glass so that it would remain in place was _not_ using water as had been stipulated. This wasn't a contest though, so we couldn't be disqualified, but the results? _That_ was indeed beautiful!

Mikaela had started with a mound of sand five feet high and ten feet across. Filled with walls, soaring towers, huge buildings, and crenellations everywhere, it was a classic sand castle... of immense proportions! Complete with a moat and using the lid from one of the cubes there was even a drawbridge. Looking at it, one could readily imagine the Knights of the Round Table taking up residence in this version of Camelot.

All of us, Mikaela included looked over at what Autumn was finishing up on. It was a very _huge_ human face with long wavy hair, soft gentle eyes, a thin aquiline nose, high prominent cheekbones, and gentle flowing lines around a kindly mouth that though it wasn't smiling, seemed that it would at the slightest excuse. I knew at once that if this were a real woman, she would be considered to be beautiful by the standards of any culture.

"Autumn… who is that?" Mikaela asked softly while she looked at the large sculpture in blatant admiration.

"My Moth… Carrier." Autumn said as she stammered out the correction. "At least… I _think_ that's how she looked. It's hard to remember her face now."

"Autumn… there's a little too _much_ detail in that to be just a guess at how she looked. If you think that's the way your mother's face looked, then I'd say you're right." Mikaela said quietly. "She was really beautiful." She finished in an awe filled whisper.

I had been watching Autumn closely, but then so had the others. We had each noticed the sort of trance like state that Autumn had gone into while sculpting the pile of sand into a creation of true beauty. Even though the face had human style hair instead of a solid helm like a bot, it still was incredibly pretty. I looked over all three creations and was forced to admit, that Autumn had done a truly incredible job.

"I'd have to say that you'd win if this were a contest Autumn." I told her gently.

The poor femme looked as if someone had just hit her in the faceplates with their fist… _hard_!

"What?" She asked in a stricken tone that matched her expression.

 **Arcee POV**

Autumn looked as if someone had shot her with a plasma cannon. I thought that I had understood what was meant when I'd been told that she was timid, but the poor femme looked ready to bolt over a simple compliment. This was _not_ what we wanted from her… not at all.

"Well we sort of cheated by using a plasma cannon to fuse the sand, and what you made? _That_ is beautiful!" Elita said with a gentle smile.

"I… I wasn't trying to win anything." Autumn answered.

"You didn't! It wasn't a contest, but at least we know that you _can_ win if we ever do get into a sand castle building contest." Mikaela said proudly. "I don't suppose we could be a team if there is a sand castle building contest, could we? I'd love a chance to win like that."

I watched as Autumn just nodded her helm. It was spark rending to realize that her mind and will had been broken so badly before she had been changed by what remained of the Allspark. I could see why the Allspark had changed her though. Autumn was a very pretty femme. She wasn't spectacularly beautiful, but she was certainly attractive. The only thing she really lacked was self-confidence, and that was something that could be dealt with.

My sister femmes and I had seen it though. There was a lively, bubbly, and very likeable personality buried beneath Autumn's timid fear and submissiveness. All that was needed was self-confidence to bring that personality out for everyone to see.

"Okay… I don't know about you gals, but I'm hungry. Let's go back up to the camping spot and get something in our middles!" Mikaela suggested.

"That… is an excellent idea! I could do with some fuel, and I know Autumn needs it as well." Chromia grinned.

I saw that the fire had burned down a lot. The flames were only a foot tall in most places, but a bit higher in others. Mikaela simply grinned when she saw that. She opened up her ice chest and pulled out a pack of hotdogs. From her backpack, she took a set of short poles that she clipped together to make a rack to roast her food over the fire. I had to applaud the ingenuity behind that little item. Even though humans were no longer primitive savages, they still knew how to make use of those skills.

"That's something else I never learned how to do." Autumn said morosely.

"What's that Autumn?" Mikaela asked while looking up at Autumn though she never stopped what she was doing.

"Roast something on a fire. I never really learned how to cook anything. I just ate what I could get by with. Most of the time, I could only get something hot and cooked at school, or at my aunt's house. I can't go back there now, and I couldn't eat anything even if I did." Autumn said almost in tears as she finished.

"Maybe you can't eat it, but I can show you how to roast a few things on a fire. At least you'd know how." Mikaela offered.

"Do you think it might be possible to heat some energon like that without setting it on fire?" Elita asked interestedly. "If hot food is preferred by humans, then Autumn might enjoy that. I must admit that it's possible that heating the energon might change the flavor of it so I'd like to try it as well."

"Could it be possible to warm up some of the mineral wafers as well? Do you think it might change the way they taste?" Chromia asked eagerly.

"Oh I can warm the stuff up. That's no problem… but what if it makes the stuff so you can't eat it?" Mikaela asked in a concerned tone.

"There's a simple solution for that. If heating it up renders it unusable to us, then I can just return to the base and retrieve more." Elita answered calmly.

"Good idea! It's not like it's an all day thing." Mikaela said with a chuckle.

Chromia began removing a dozen containers of energon from one of her subspace compartments. From another, she pulled out a large container of mineral wafers.

Mikaela smiled as she looked at the container of wafers. "I brought a couple sheet pans to keep some smores warm, but we can use one to warm those up too."

 **Autumn POV**

A short while later, I was using a collapsible rod to roast kielbasas over the fire under Mikaela's direction. She told me that they were a type of Polish sausage, but that they were very greasy even though they were also very good. I never would have thought of putting chocolate and marshmallows on graham crackers, but that's what Mikaela had done. She said they were called 'smores' and they looked like they tasted pretty good because they smelled wonderful.

Mikaela had warmed up the mineral wafers before she started making the smores. It turned out that heating them up _did_ change the way they tasted. Somehow the taste of milk chocolate was added to the mix of banana pudding and coconut. They were _great_! Arcee, Chromia, and Elita said they were even better than the treats that I don't like.

The energon that Chromia gave me had also been warmed up by the fire. The heat changed the flavor of that too; now it tasted like the chocolate covered strawberry I had tried once. They had been giving out small samples at a grocery store when I had gone in to get some fruit, otherwise I never would have gotten one to try.

It was starting to get dark by the time Mikaela's food was done cooking. So we all ate; mineral wafers for us while Mikaela ate real food. She had a bunch of Snapple drinks with her, so she had those while we drank energon. After we were done with dinner, Mikaela started telling a ghost story. Then Chromia told one, after that Arcee told a ghost story. Elita didn't tell a ghost story, but what she did tell us was still scary.

"Okay Autumn, your turn." Mikaela said as she looked at me.

"I… I only know one ghost story that my Carrier told me before she died. I still remember it though." I said nervously.

"Let's hear it then." Arcee said with a smile.

The others agreed that they wanted to hear it too, so I took a deep vent and started.

"Somewhere in the mountains is a dark, dark valley. And in that dark, dark valley; is a dark, dark forest. And in that dark, dark forest; is a dark, dark trail. And on that dark, dark trail; is a dark, dark house. And in that dark, dark house; is a dark, dark hall. And at the end of that dark, dark hall; is a dark, dark room. And in that dark, dark room; is a dark, dark closet. And in that dark, dark closet; is a dark, dark shelf. And on that dark, dark shelf; is a dark, dark box. And in that dark, dark box…" I spoke in a soft dull monotone voice just like my Carrier had when I was little.

" _Is a GHOST_!" I finished in a forceful shout.

Everyone jumped a little. Even Ravage jumped up from where she had been laying in my lap. She turned to glare at me and I knew she wasn't very happy with my story. I started rubbing around her audials and she lay back down after a few seconds.

"Autumn… that isn't _near_ as creepy as Bloody Mary or some of the other ghost stories I've heard, but that's a good one!" Mikaela said with a nodding chuckle. "No blood or guts in it but it _still_ makes you jump!"

"That was _very_ well told Autumn. Is that the same way your Carrier told you that story?" Elita asked me.

"Yes. She told me that on Halloween night. I remember that and her singing to me once. There weren't any words but her humming was beautiful. Those are the two good things I remember about her. The only other thing I remember is something I wish I could forget." I told them.

 **Mikaela POV**

There it was again. That reminder that Autumn _saw_ her mother murdered. Knowing that it was one of the very few things she remembered about someone she obviously loved a lot, didn't even come _close_ to giving me warm fuzzy feelings. Seeing someone get killed in a movie was sometimes bad enough, but seeing that happen right in front of you to someone you love? It's a wonder that Autumn wasn't a vegetable after what she'd gone through!

"Hey girl, listen to me for a second." I told Autumn seriously.

"They say that someone isn't really gone as long as you remember them. Maybe you don't remember very much about your mother, but you haven't forgotten her. As much as you still love her, I know you'll _never_ forget her."

Autumn looked at me sadly, and I could tell that she didn't really believe me for some reason.

"But I don't remember very much." Autumn said almost in tears.

"Autumn, I want you to look at me." I said before waiting until she did. "You don't have to remember how she looked, what she smelled like, or even how she sounded when she sang. What's important is that you remember how much she loved you. You haven't told me that much about her, but I can hear the way you sound when you talk about her. You miss her and love her a lot… and I'm sure that she loves you just as much. She may not be here anymore, but _you_ are Autumn. That means part of her is still here, because _every_ child is always a part of their mother." I told her softly.

"You know Mikaela, I haven't thought about it like that before, but you're right. Even for a Cybertronian, a sparkling is derived from the carrier's spark, so that means they are _literally_ a part of their carrier for as long as they live." Chromia mused softly.

"That is a very novel perspective Mikaela… and it is a piece of wisdom that I will never forget." Elita said earnestly.

"You _do_ realize what that means, don't you Autumn?" Arcee asked gently.

"It means that Mommy is still dead." She replied sadly with energon tears now rolling down her metal cheeks.

"No, Autumn… it doesn't. What that means is that part of your mother, your _Carrier_ is still alive, and will _always_ be alive as long as you live. I am familiar with organic reproduction. As a human, fully _half_ of your DNA, your cell structure, half of _you_ … is actually your mother! Now that you have become a bot; your spark is what contains what was her. Half of that wonderful spark of yours comes from _her_! Your mother gave you life Autumn… and she _continues_ to do that for you! Your mother might be dead, but she is not _gone_." Chromia told Autumn forcefully.

"You are part of your mother and she is also part of you. She will never be truly gone Autumn; not as long as you are with us." Chromia added gently.

I got up and walked over to Autumn before I eased into her lap next to Ravage. That large metal panther looked at me for a moment before ignoring me. It felt really weird because Autumn is almost two years younger than I am, but she's like fifteen feet tall now and I'm just over five. I sat down on her right leg and leaned against her stomach and chest. I was still in my white bikini and now that I wasn't right next to the fire, the night was just a tad chilly, but Autumn was very warm and that felt good.

"You know Autumn… my mother left right after I was born. She didn't love me and she didn't want me either. I've never seen her, never spoken to her, and I don't even know her name, or who she is." I told Autumn as I looked up at her over my left shoulder.

"You know something? I don't want to either. Unlike my dad, _my_ mother never loved me, but _yours_ did! You're lucky Autumn, your mother cared about you. She loved you, just like my dad loves me. Your dad and my mom are people this world would be better off without. The _only_ reason I have to be glad that either of them ever lived is because we are both here. I'm glad you're here Autumn and I'm happy to be your friend." I told her truthfully.

Autumn didn't say anything in response to that, instead, she put her right hand around me. I'm guessing it's meant to be a sort of hug and I think it is. What I know right now is that Autumn has something to think about. Yeah, it's true that her dad is a part of her too, but her mom is the most important thing to her right now, and _that_ is what she needs to focus on.


	45. Chapter 45

**Elita POV**

We all sat around the dying fire for several hours talking softly. Mikaela stayed in Autumn's lap for the most part. There were a few times that she left to 'step behind a tree' or get something to drink, but as soon as she did, she got right back in to Autumn's lap. The strange thing is, Autumn seems to like having her there. As small as she is, Mikaela can't weigh very much, but there is a… _concern_ for Autumn that is much larger than that small body seems like it should contain.

Chromia had suggested a topic that we could _all_ discuss without any negative connotations. I knew that Autumn needed something to think about and talk about that had nothing to do with the numerous horrible memories locked in her processors. Naming and discussing things that we liked and enjoyed about this world should provide that break.

"Beaches… just like this one!" Mikaela said with relish.

"Why?" Arcee asked in curiosity.

"Because. I can do all kinds of things at a beach. Take now for example. I am sitting in front of a nice warm and beautiful fire, spending time in great company and getting to know more about four women who I know will be great friends. I'm not cold, I'm not wet, and I not hungry. It's a beautiful night, full of brilliant stars and I can't think of anything better." Mikaela explained with a smile.

I had to think about that for a moment before agreeing with her. This was something that Autumn might count as pleasant as well. After all, we weren't in battle, none of us had any physical damage that hadn't been treated, and the company, as Mikaela had said, was great.

"Well _I_ happen to enjoy the _very_ large number of cars available that I can use for an alt. mode." Arcee said happily.

"Oh yes! That is _definitely_ something I like about this world; there are _hundreds_ of different vehicles that I can use." Chromia said happily.

"I think that's something all three of us agree on." I added.

"Really? Then why did all three of you pick the same car with different colors?" Mikaela asked smugly.

"Because it's small, fast, maneuverable and the size fits me perfectly." Chromia replied candidly. "I don't have to place any part of my frame in subspace when I transform and that means a shorter response time when there's a call to action."

"Those were also my reasons for choosing this alt. mode. Although I will also add that it's quite stylish with just the right curves to it." I added with just a bit of vanity.

"I agree! This alt. mode puts the proper curves in the _just_ the right places!" Arcee agreed with an almost predatory smile.

Mikaela burst out with a laugh. "Got your eye on any mech in particular?" She asked with a knowing grin.

"A certain Medic _does_ come to my processors." Arcee returned airily.

"Is that _Wedding Bells_ I hear?" Mikaela asked _very_ suggestively."

I had to look up the term because it wasn't one I was familiar with. Once I finally found the meaning of it, my optics shot as wide as they could go. For Cybertronians Spark Bonding was essentially a private affair, with no one else even _knowing_ about it until after it was done. Humans though… _humans_ not only much such a thing into a public ceremony, but a _celebration_! This was simply one more thing that illustrated the differences between us. At the same time though, the human custom of this ' _Wedding'_ ceremony was indeed a beautiful thing; a public proclamation of two individuals' love for each other. This is something I can readily support.

"Possibly." Arcee replied with a hint of smugness to her tone.

"Why Ratchet? He's scary and mean sometimes." Autumn whispered sadly.

"No Autumn, he isn't." Arcee said lightly. "You have to understand something about him. Ratchet is a lot older than you can probably imagine. In his incredibly long life, by your standards, he has had to watch countless thousands die while he personally tried to save their lives. _Millions_ have died during his lifetime… and he was forced to watch while our entire world died and he was completely helpless to save it. He _acts_ mean, grumpy, and grouchy because he cares. He doesn't like to see anyone injured, and he would like nothing better than to be forced to do nothing but polish his tools all cycle long because no one _gets_ injured. He has seen so much death and destruction that he wants to save those few who are left. He cares so much that he even tries to frighten others into _not_ getting injured, so that his skills won't be needed." She explained.

"Well he sure scares the slag out of me!" Autumn protested softly.

"He tries to do that just so you won't get hurt again. But when something _does_ happen, you can bet anything you like that he will do whatever he possibly can to get you fully repaired and functional again." Arcee answered earnestly.

"That's Ratchet all right. That gruff demeanor is just to hide how much he really cares." I added lightly.

"That sounds like the Ratchet I've come to know." Mikaela said with a nod. "He's a character all right, but he's got a heart of gold."

"Really?" Autumn asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. Think back a minute. Tell me when he's ever done anything to hurt you. I'll bet he's scared the life out of you, and maybe even threatened you, hasn't he?" Mikaela asked as she looked up over her left shoulder at Autumn.

I could see Autumn frown as she was thinking about it. She was most likely going over every memory she had of every encounter with the medic. With the sole exception of a wrench to her helm, he's never hurt her. _That_ is something I know for certain!

"He yells at me sometimes… but he's never even acted like he was going to hit me with that wrench. I… I even saw him hit Blue with it." Autumn answered timidly.

"He's never hit you, because he _never_ hits someone who doesn't deserve it Autumn." Arcee said to her plainly.

"What about you Autumn? What's your favorite thing about the world?" Mikaela asked only somewhat changing the topic, but actually getting _back_ to the topic we were discussing.

"I… I like these cliffs, the beaches here and looking at the stars. I never got to see beaches and things when I was at home, but I'd sneak out sometimes to look at the stars." Autumn answered.

It hurt to see her like this. She acted as if almost anything she said would land her in the brig or worse. No bot deserved to be rendered into such a state and certainly not a youngling.

"Well, you don't have to sneak out to look at them tonight, now do you?" Mikaela asked cheerfully.

Autumn shook her head before she looked up with a wistful expression. There seemed to be some kind of longing in her optics.

 **Chromia POV**

When Mikaela had yawned for the second time, I laid out a tarp for Autumn to recharge on. It was near enough to the coals of the fire that she would be warmed by the heat they would generate all night long. Mikaela laid down on Autumn's right, while Ravage laid down on her left. I folded down as if to recharge in my alt. mode as did both Elita and Arcee.

I knew the other two were actually going into recharge, but I was going to keep watch. I still didn't really trust Ravage not to do something to Autumn, and I wasn't about to take any chances. There was no way that I was _ever_ going to take a risk where a sparkling was involved.

Two human hours later Mikaela was asleep, while everyone but myself was in recharge. I couldn't have been more surprised when Autumn sat up and looked around. She stood up and walked to the edge of the cliffs and sat down looking up at the stars.

A full moon hung just a dozen degrees above the horizon. The reflected light from that moon illuminated the ocean, beaches below us, and the woods behind us. It was a very beautiful scene. Stars were twinkling brightly in the night sky, and everything looked _extremely_ poetic.

Autumn sat there looking up into the night sky for about two hours when I heard her speaking softly.

"Mami, ich weiß dass du irgendwo da draußen bist. Ich... Ich hoffe du kannst mich hören, Mami. Ich brauche dich Mami . Ich brauche Hilfe _bitte_ . Alle erwarten das ich glücklich bin, aber ich bin es nicht... weil ich nicht kann! _Bitte, Mami bitte, hilfe mir_!"

The words seemed to be some type of desperate entreaty… almost a plea of some kind. It took me a few moments to learn exactly which of Earth's many languages it was, but once I did, I also learned what she had said.

"Mommy, I know you are out there somewhere. I... I hope you can hear me, Mommy. I need you Mommy. I need help _please_. Everyone expects me to be happy, but I can't... because I'm not! _Please Mommy, please help me_!"

My spark just about froze when I realized what she was doing. She was _begging_ her offlined Carrier for the help that she knew she needed. I don't know if she received an answer or not, but after another hour of looking up at those stars, she went back to the tarp, laid down and entered recharge.


	46. Chapter 46

**Arcee POV**

When Elita and I emerged from our recharge, Chromia sent us a comm signal containing what she had witnessed last night. Fortunately, Autumn was still in a state of recharge, but how long she would remain that way was anyone's guess.

For myself? I could understand Autumn's actions. By Cybertronian standards she was a mere sparkling; by human standards she was still a child, and by either set of standards she had been mentally broken. It was perfectly natural for Autumn to crave her mother's presence, care, love, support and help.

Mikaela stretched with a soft groan before she sat up. She blinked a few times before looking over at Autumn with a slight smile on her face. Then she slowly got to her feet.

"Back in a minute." She told us before moving off into the woods.

She returned a short time later, although it was longer than the 'minute' she had stated. She went straight to her ice chest and got out a package of those sausages she'd eaten last night. She moved over to the coals of the fire and held her hand above them for a few seconds before she smiled and got the rods to roast them on. While those were roasting, she got out a pack of tortillas and I looked at her curiously.

"Sausage wraps." She said by way of explanation. "Not the best breakfast in the world, but it's a whole lot better than nothing."

"Could you not have brought something better?" Chromia asked.

"Sure. But then I'd have needed a couple of ice chests and I wasn't going to take that long to get ready to go." Mikaela answered.

"So now what do we do?" Elita asked interestedly.

"Well, we take our time waking up, spend a few more hours together and then we go back. It's not like we have to hurry is it?" Mikaela said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, there are certainly no pressing issues that need to be resolved by us, because the others can readily handle things by themselves. So, no, we don't need to return immediately." I answered.

"That means we can stay right here, spend some more time talking until _we_ are ready to leave." Mikaela retorted smugly.

"Sounds good to me! I like it here. This is where I was when I got Ravage." Autumn said as she sat up.

"You really like that giant panther, don't you?" Mikaela asked.

Autumn nodded her head. "She's one of the best things in my life." She said as she reached toward the Cybercat who had raised up to look at her.

 **Chromia POV**

I felt my spark clench in my chest when Autumn said that. I knew Ravage to be absolutely _ruthless_ in battle, because she had killed quite a few of my fellow Autobots. For Autumn to honestly claim that Ravage is one of the best things in her life was _not_ a comforting thought. That alone told me that Autumn's life hadn't been pleasant at all. I knew all about the confession from her Sire, but still, there should have been something about Autumn's life so far that hadn't been cause for a nightmare. Ravage was a different story though. That Cybercat was _known_ to be extremely dangerous and deadly in battle, but right here in front of me, Autumn was pulling that Cybercat into her lap with no hesitation. It was actually _very_ disturbing.

Mikaela took one of the sausages and made a wrap with it before she pulled a Caramel Frappaccino out of the ice chest and shook it vigorously.

"You brought a _Starbuck's_?" Autumn practically shouted.

" _Of course_ I did! I needed _something_ with caffeine in it." Mikaela said defensively.

"Now I'm _really_ jealous!" Autumn complained sourly. "I was able to get one of those once and I _loved_ it, but now I can't drink those anymore."

"I'd be happy to give you one if you could." Mikaela replied.

"You… you'd really give me one?" Autumn asked in a surprised tone.

"Sure! You're my friend Autumn! Back in school you never started _anything_! The problem was people wouldn't leave you alone. The one time I got to actually talk with you while you were still human was here on this island. I was really surprised, because you were nice to talk to. In spite of the reputation you had at school, you weren't rude or snotty and you didn't try to pick a fight. I had a nice time talking with you, so yeah, I'd share my coffee with you, no problem. That's all part of being a friend Autumn." Mikaela said casually.

"I'm not sure that you'll be able to drink one of those now that you're a bot Autumn. I'm not taking the chance that it'll mess up your systems. I can get Ratchet to examine the drink along with your systems to find out if you can still consume it or not, but until then, the answer is no." I told her sternly but in a nice way. I didn't want her to start crying over a part of her life that was now gone.

"What do you think Ratchet will say?" Autumn asked almost sadly.

"I don't know Autumn. That will depend entirely on your systems." I answered truthfully.

"Looks like you'll have to wait until we go back to find out the answer to that Autumn. I must admit, that I'm now curious as well." Elita said lightly.

"I can do that." Autumn said with a nod of her head.

I could hear the reluctant hope in Autumn's voice as she answered Elita. It was at once clear that Autumn really had enjoyed the one time she had tried that drink. For her sake I hoped that she would somehow be able to enjoy them, but I doubted it. Our fueling systems just aren't suited for such things.

Autumn used the sheet pan that Mikaela had brought to heat up some more mineral wafers. As she ate those and drank a cube of heated energon, she made a face that told and unpleasant story.

"What's wrong?" Mikaela asked.

"This… this isn't what I'm used to having for breakfast." Autumn answered.

"Usually just an apple or something like that if I can get it without my father catching me." Autumn answered honestly.

The more I learned about Autumn's past, the angrier I got at her sire! That miserably rotten slagger had no business being around a sparkling of _any_ species! That she'd needed to _sneak_ past that abomination in order to get sustenance proves just how unsuitable he was. As far as I was concerned, there was no place in the pit that was fitting for him! The fact that he was already dead only made it impossible for me to deal with him myself.

"Well, you won't have to snatch anything to eat ever again! If someone tries to tell you that you can't have some energon or something, you tell me! If I can't beat some sense into their hard head, I have some friends who _can_!" Mikaela said quickly.

"You may count me among them!" Elita snapped.

"I as well!" Arcee agreed.

"Same here! Now, out of curiosity, who are these friends that would help you in such a way?" I asked.

"Optimus, Ratchet, Bee, Jazz, and Hide!" Mikaela replied smugly. "I met them just before the fight in Mission City, and they're pretty good friends of mine."

 **Elita POV**

We talked while Mikaela ate her breakfast and we drank our morning energon. I learned a few things about Autumn during our conversation. One of the things I learned is that she is frightened by several of the bots. Even though she has a Guardian Bond with him, Prowl terrifies her because he hardly ever smiles or even frowns. That gives her no visual clue as to his emotions. Chromia told her to _use_ her Bond with him! That way she can feel what he's feeling. Ratchet scares her because he always seems angry about something. Optimus frightens her because of his size _and_ because he is in a position of authority. It seems that she's afraid of _all_ authority figures because of her past. The three of us agreed over our comm system to keep quiet about our own positions because we didn't want Autumn to become frightened of us. Ironhide scares her because of his size and because of her experience with him during her first training session, but she's willing to give him a chance because of yesterday morning. Mirage also scares her because of how badly he damaged her without even receiving any visible scuffs even though she did her best.

Autumn did admit though, that Optimus has never actually done anything to her that she knows of. What she does know is that he is the one who told her that she no longer had a sparkbond with Bluestreak, and that alone, hurt her deeply. It was when Autumn mentioned her fear of Optimus that Mikaela spoke up.

"You really shouldn't be scared of Optimus, you know?" Mikaela said in a half amused tone.

"Why not? He's big enough to rip me in half with one servo!" Autumn retorted nervously.

Mikaela seemed to think about that for a moment, before she got up and walked over to climb in Autumn's lap.

"You know Autumn, Optimus can't help being as big as he is. Yeah, he's a lot bigger than you are." Mikaela said wryly.

"But then, you're a lot bigger than me." Mikaela continued.

"Just because you're bigger than I am, doesn't mean I need to be scared of you. Why should I be? I spent several hours in your lap last night, I'm in your lap right now, and I even got to drive yesterday. That was a lot of fun too! If you wanted to, all you'd have to do is grab me in one hand and squeeze. I'd be dead. That's all there is to it. I've been in Optimus' hand a few times. He wouldn't have any problem turning me into a gooey mess. He could do it so fast that I'd never get the chance to scream. He _could_ do that to me, but I know he won't. He's not mean Autumn. He can't help being a lot bigger than both of us put together, just like you can't help being bigger than me and Ravage put together. All you have to do is talk to him. He's one of the nicest people I know. He won't crack you up all the time like Jazz does, and he's not as cheerful as Bee. He's a calm even tempered kind of guy, and it really takes a lot to get him mad. He _hates_ to fight, but he will if he has no other choice." Mikaela said kindly.

"Autumn… do you know what Optimus used to do?" I asked her.

Autumn shook her head nervously. And although it saddened me to see her almost constant fear, I knew that we were all trying to help her, and this little talk could go a long way in doing that. If Autumn were to overcome her fear of Optimus, then she would have an excellent means of conquering her other fears.

"Before he became Prime which is the leader and ruler of all Cybertronians, his name was Orion Pax. He was what you would call a librarian. He still loves to study and learn new things. That's one of the things he truly enjoys about this world. There is so much for him to learn about it. Sometimes, I think he wants to learn _everything_ so he can find out what he doesn't know and learn that too!" I told her honestly.

"Yeah Autumn, you heard right. Optimus is a giant _nerd_!" Mikaela said with a laugh.

"You… you're putting me on." Autumn protested.

"Nope! Seriously… just ask him. He'd probably _admit it_!" Mikaela shot back.

Autumn sat there in silence and I was pretty sure that she was thinking things over. Mikaela left Autumn's lap to go over and grab two more sausage wraps and another Starbuck's before returning to sit on Autumn's leg.

"What do you think Ravage?" Mikaela asked turning to look at the Cybercat also in Autumn's lap. "Can you think of _any_ reason for Autumn to be scared of Optimus?"

I saw Autumn look down at Ravage with interest. Mikaela actually surprised me by asking that question. No one that I know of has tried to get that Cybercat's opinion on things.

Ravage gave a loud huff before shaking her head and Mikaela started laughing.

"See Autumn? Even Ravage knows you have nothing to worry about."

 **Mikaela POV**

Autumn was being pretty quiet when we rolled to a stop inside the main hangar. Optimus was talking to Ironhide and Prowl about something or other. I got out of Autumn's driver side, while she opened the passenger door to let Ravage out. I looked over at the giant metal panther and something just seemed to… _click_ when she looked back at me.

I could hear all four femmes transform as I walked over to Optimus. The three bots seemed to have finished talking about what they were discussing and Optimus knelt down to talk to me when I walked up to him. When he lowered his left hand, I climbed on and waited as he stood up. Then I started feeling a tad mischievous for some reason. I silently motioned for him to bring me closer to his face, when he did I popped him in the right eye with my cast!

Optimus _immediately_ slapped his right hand over his eye and glared at me.

"Why would you do that to me?" He asked with a tone that said he couldn't believe I had done that.

That was when I heard the sound of metal hitting metal and looked down to see Ravage hitting Optimus with her tail.

"Stop that!" Optimus ordered irritably.

Optimus was still holding his right eye, so I bopped him on his nose pretty hard. By this time, Ravage had hit Optimus on his ankles a _good_ half dozen times.

"Why are you two attacking me?" Optimus asked with a one eyed glower.

"To prove a point." I answered with a grin.

"What 'point' could that be?" Optimus asked me very doubtfully.

I could tell from the tone of his voice that he didn't believe that I could have a point, but I did and Ravage had helped make that point perfectly!

"That you aren't mean." I answered smugly.

"Whether I am or am not ' _mean_ ' is not the issue. The issue here is that you have hit me twice when I have done nothing to deserve it." Optimus replied sourly.

I couldn't help but start laughing. "Optimus my friend, if you _were_ mean, you would have already crushed me like a bug! Instead, you're trying to find out _why_ I hit you. That's how you are… talk first and fight only when you have to… and you just proved it!" I told him.

"Proved it to whom?" Optimus asked me and I could tell from his tone that he was really interested in the answer.

"You just proved it to Autumn." I said as I turned to look at her.

Autumn was just standing there with a look of shocked terror on her gaping face. It was real easy to see that she thought something horrible was about to happen, but I knew differently. Yeah, he's very big and pretty strong too, but I know there isn't a single malicious bolt in his metal body.

"You also proved that you're just a great big nerd too!" I said with a snicker as I looked back at him.

"A nerd?"

"Yeah, you know… a _geek_!" I replied.

"I don't think I can be either a nerd _or_ a geek as you say, since the stereotypes of both require them to wear glasses, and that is something I don't have." Optimus said seriously as he took his hand away from his eye. "Although, I think those would have been useful a minute ago."

I couldn't help but laugh while I turned back to look at Autumn again. "See Autumn? He's not someone to be scared of at all. If he didn't hurt me for hitting him in the eye and on the nose, and he didn't hurt Ravage for hitting him, then he won't hurt you either."


	47. Chapter 47

**Optimus POV**

I looked up from Mikaela standing in my left hand to see that Autumn was truly frightened. I remembered what both Jazz and Ratchet have told me, that Autumn was terrified of me because of my size and because of my position. I know that I have never tried or even threatened to hurt Autumn, but I can see that she isn't thinking about that. She is thinking of the things that I am physically _able_ to do, but would never have the spark to go through with.

I looked down to see that Ravage was now sitting by my foot while calmly looking up at me. It would appear that Ravage was merely helping Mikaela to prove her point. As I looked at the Cybercat… an idea occurred to me and I decided to follow through with it in the hopes that it might be of _some_ help.

"Go back and stay with Autumn before you end up in the brig for failing to do your job." I ordered Ravage firmly.

"Her job? What's that?" Mikaela asked in confusion.

"Her assigned task is to stay with Autumn and protect her at all times since I can not always be nearby to do so." I answered calmly.

Using my peripheral vision, I could see the stunned surprise on Autumn's face. It's clear that Autumn doesn't expect us to be at all concerned about her safety. She also expects me to behave as her sire did… that will _not_ happen!

"You really think Ravage can protect Autumn as well as you can?" Mikaela asked me bluntly.

"Perhaps… perhaps not. Ravage is known to be an excellent combatant. At the very least she and the bot with Autumn would provide enough of a distraction for help to arrive. When it comes to Autumn's protection… Ravage will _not_ be fighting alone!" I answered sternly.

"While they focus on that cat, I'll just obliterate 'em!" Ironhide grinned.

"Lacks style. I'd prefer to dismember the slagger… _slowly_!" Sunstreaker groused while examining his paint for scratches.

Mikaela started laughing before she turned to face Autumn. "See? He's a great big softy… nothing to worry about!"

"Ha! Tell that to Megatron!" Ironhide scoffed.

"Can't; he's dead. Sam killed him. Besides, he had it coming!" Mikaela retorted with a smirk.

"Autumn, you need to quit looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Now would you mind giving me a lift to the med bay? Remember, you and I need to talk to Ratchet about something." Mikaela said changing the subject.

 **Autumn POV**

I walked over to Optimus without looking him in the optics. I just can't believe that Mikaela _hit_ him! Maybe she's right about him. I guess she is, because if Optimus was _anything_ like my father, he would have killed her for what she did. As big as he is, Optimus still didn't do _anything_ to her and I don't know why he didn't.

I walked over to Optimus and held my right hand close to his, making sure that I kept my optics aimed at Mikaela, but I was still watching. I was relying on my wings to tell me if he started to do anything. Mikaela stepped on to my hand and sat down.

"Come on Autumn, we need to go to the med bay to talk to Ratchet." She told me with a smile. "Come on Ravage, you're about to get left behind." She added looking down at the Cybercat sitting next to Optimus' ankles.

I stopped just before the sensor would open the door to the med bay. I just knew that Ratchet was going to be angry like he always is and I didn't want a wrench thrown at me.

"Autumn, it's okay to go in. Ratchet isn't really angry, he just acts that way because he doesn't like to see bots get damaged. Besides, I'll be right here with you." Chromia told me.

I'm not thrilled to walk into the med bay, but I know that I am now supposed to recharge in here. I'm sure that Ratchet is really tired of me by now, since I was in here so much when I first came to this base.

"Who ever…" Ratchet began before looking at me hard. "Why is Mikaela in your hands instead of Ravage?"

"Because I asked her to give me a lift. We need to find out something, and you're the only one who can tell us." Mikaela replied before I could say anything.

"And just what is it that I need to find out for you?" Ratchet asked as he crossed his servos over his torso.

"We want you to find out if Autumn can still drink coffee, sodas and other stuff like that." Mikaela answered with a grin.

"What could _possibly_ make you think that Autumn might be able to ingest such things? Bots can't do that because it would clog their systems!" Ratchet complained angrily.

"Well… Autumn _was_ human right? So maybe she can still drink coffee, at least I hope so." Mikaela replied.

"Sound reasoning, but that will depend on her fuel processing systems." Ratchet groused.

"Would you take a look for us? It'd be great if me and Autumn can sit down to a cup of coffee together." Mikaela said with a smile.

 **Chromia POV**

I watched Autumn sit down on one of the berths while Ravage jumped up there to crawl into her lap. Autumn placed Mikaela on her right thigh and with both Mikaela and Ravage there, Autumn's lap was full. Her left hand was stroking Ravage, while her right hand was near Mikaela ready to catch her if she stumbled or fell while standing on Autumn's right thigh.

Ratchet picked up a device that was clearly a more inclusive scanning unit than what was built into his frame, because this was much larger. I watched in silence for over an hour as Mikaela and Autumn whispered to each other and the bright light of the blue scanning beam illuminated Autumn's midsection.

Ratchet huffed and growled softly to himself while he worked at transferring the results into a large diagnostic computer. Although not quite sentient, that computer system was _far_ more advanced than anything the humans could build at this time. I don't know the full capabilities of that machine, but I know Ratchet. He wouldn't trust that system if it wasn't fully able to perform as needed.

An hour and a half after Ratchet first picked up the scanner, Mikaela's stomach growled; Ratchet straightened up and turned to glare at the young woman.

"Go eat."

"No. I'm not leaving until I find out if Autumn and I can share a glass of tea or something." Mikaela said firmly.

"Chromia, send a comm to Elita and ask her to bring the girl something for lunch, and give Autumn a cube of energon while you're at it." Ratchet snapped at me while still glaring at Mikaela.

I sent the message as requested while I stepped over to the supplies and retrieved two cubes of energon. One was already mixed for Autumn and I knew that by the color of it; the other was a cube of mid-grade for Ravage. Just as I was handing the two cubes to Autumn, Elita walked through the door.

"Mikaela… I'm not exactly sure what types of food you like, but I brought a couple of tuna salad sandwiches and some V-8 to drink." Elita said as she walked over and handed the food to the young woman still sitting on Autumn's thigh.

"Elita, even if I didn't like what you brought, I would _still_ say thank you for bringing it. But I _do_ happen to like tuna salad, so you hit the nail right on the head with that one." Mikaela answered.

Autumn tore the top off of the cube for Ravage and placed it down on the berth while she sipped on her cube. She was busy watching Mikaela eat, Ravage drink her energon, and Ratchet run his equipment. Another hour passed with those two talking quietly, and I could see that they were trying not to disturb Ratchet while he worked.

Ratchet finally turned around and deactivated the scanning unit that was aimed at Autumn. He crossed his arms over his chest and fixed Mikaela with a hard look.

"Autumn's fueling systems are a lot different than those of any other bot I've ever seen. It seems that she can actually eat eight ounces of human food in a twenty-four hour period. I know that isn't very much, but she can also drink one cube of _non-carbonated_ fluids! The carbonation would have detrimental effects on her fuel systems where sugar or other sweeteners wouldn't. I don't fully comprehend why that's the case, but it is." Ratchet informed her.

"Wait… just how much is in one of those cubes?" Mikaela asked.

"Just a touch over five gallons. Why?" Ratchet answered.

"Five _gallons_!?" Mikaela demanded in apparent shock. "That's a _lot_ of coffee." She added in an awed whisper.

"If Autumn were human, there is no way in the slagging _pits_ that I'd let her drink _that_ much coffee! That much caffeine would kill her." Ratchet growled. "Strange thing is, it won't have any affect on her as a bot."

Mikaela started nodding her head with a thoughtful frown on her face. Then she leaned back and looked up at Autumn. "You said you tried a Starbuck's once. What flavor did you get?"

"Vanilla." Autumn answered softly. "One of my fa… creator's _tramps_ left it in the fridge, so I took it."

"Did you like it?" Mikaela asked.

"It was okay. I… I don't really like vanilla though." Autumn replied.

"That's okay. Mocha, caramel, mocha coconut, dark chocolate… there's a lot of flavors you can pick from."

I followed Autumn to the rec room. She had Ravage in her arms while Mikaela was sitting on her right shoulder. They looked so natural that way, like they _belonged_ together.

Autumn sat down at one of the tables and promptly lifted Ravage up to place her on it. Mikaela stayed where she was and I thought that was endearingly adorable. I knew that Autumn didn't have very many friends but she seemed to be _very_ accepting of those she did have. I think she would even go out of her way to accommodate those that she liked.

" _Animals_ don't belong on the _furniture_!" A human voice snarled.

I looked over and saw that it came from the human Galloway. I guess he noticed me looking at him because he turned his attention to me.

"Why are you just standing there, you useless piece of junk? Get that damned _thing_ off the table!" Galloway ordered angrily.

Before I could respond, I heard the distinctive sounds of a transformation in progress. Looking at the source, I saw Ravage standing on the table with her missiles aimed straight at Director Galloway!

"Well? _Do_ something you stupid toaster!" Galloway snapped at me.

"Actually… I'm not going to do _anything_ after the way you've just _insulted_ me! My assigned task is to make sure that Ravage doesn't attack Autumn, since she has no weapons or combat experience. Therefore, I suggest you speak to the _Decepticon_ that you've been calling an _animal_ on your own! I certainly have no intention of risking _my_ life by taking her on in your defense after the way you've _insulted_ me! You may deal with this Decepticon yourself… and be _very_ glad that I am under orders not to hurt you… because even so, I am _very_ tempted to see just how little of you is left after a couple of shots from my cannons!" I snapped before _deliberately_ turning my back on him.

"You chunks of junk are supposed to be _protecting_ humans!" He protested loudly.

I turned around and knelt down to slam my fists into the concrete floor hard enough to pelt him with some of the chips.

"I am _not_ risking my life in a fight against Ravage simply because _you_ are so _incredibly_ _stupid_ as to _provoke_ her! We have _not_ been told that we have to protect you from your own _stupidity_!" I snarled before standing back up and turning again towards Autumn.

I turned back just in time to see Mikaela jump down from Autumn's shoulder. She sprawled on the table and got up to limp to the edge.

I watched as Mikaela _pointedly_ looked over at Ravage who was snarling as she aimed those missiles at Galloway. "You know something? It takes a _really_ dumb _idiot_ to expect someone to put their life on the line after you call them things that are not only _racially_ provocative, but with the hate crime laws in place, criminally _prosecutable_ as well! Now I _strongly_ suggest that you take your suicidal ass somewhere _else_ to get killed, because don't want your messy corpse ruining my appetite, and I will _happily_ be a witness against you in any hearing!" She said with a vindictive smile before trying to limp back to Autumn.

"Hey Ravage… can you give me a little help here? I think I sprained my ankle when I jumped off Autumn's shoulder." Mikaela asked nicely, although her voice was a bit strained by pain.

Ravage gave a menacing growl to Galloway before she put her missiles away and went over to Mikaela. Autumn was reaching towards Mikaela when Ravage got there first. The Cybercat acted like she was going to put her muzzle against Mikaela's stomach, but picked her up by the front of her belt instead.

Mikaela let out a yelp of surprise and leaned forward to place her hands on top of Ravage's head as she was carried back over to Autumn.

"Mikaela… are you okay?" Autumn asked worriedly.

"No." Mikaela answered with a wince as she hopped on her left foot while holding the other in the air. "But I will be. _Especially_ if that bastard stays gone!"

"I don't think anyone will disagree with you about him. I think you should see Ratchet about that ankle though."

"I'll see him later. Right now, I want something to drink, and a Starbuck's sounds really good. What do you think Autumn?" Mikaela replied.

"I would love one. Can… can I have a flavor besides vanilla?" Autumn asked hopefully.

"Sure can! We'll _both_ get a large mocha coconut, but I think you're going to need at least four of those things so you'll at least be able to taste it." Mikaela said with a grin as she climbed on Autumn's hand.

I watched as Autumn carefully deposited Mikaela back on her right shoulder. There was a sound of heavy breathing as Galloway stormed out of the rec room. Good riddance if you ask me. That little slagger isn't good for anything, and he certainly isn't a suitable liaison for us.

"Chromia, would you grab us five large bottles of mocha coconut Starbuck's please?" Mikaela asked me.

"Sure. Be right back."

From the way that Ravage had carried Mikaela, I was sure that she wasn't going to attack Autumn without being highly provoked. I have no idea why she didn't kill Galloway since she _isn't_ under standing orders not to harm humans. After the insults that were directed at _me_ , I wanted to kill that annoying slagger myself!

I walked over to the dispenser while thinking about different methods of arranging an ' _accident_ ' for Mr. Galloway. I knew that anything I actually tried would be investigated by humans and bots both, so it would have to be _perfect_!

I grabbed seven bottles of that Starbuck's Mikaela wanted, three cubes of energon and a container for Autumn to put the fluid in so she could drink it. I walked back to the table and sat down. Mikaela and Autumn were laughing at a joke that Mikaela had told. That was surprising to me, because I knew Autumn to be very withdrawn around those she didn't trust. Perhaps Mikaela becoming injured in behalf of Autumn, Ravage, and myself had earned Autumn's trust. I hoped so, because I could see that Mikaela was going to be the kind of friend that Autumn needs.

"Mikaela?" Autumn asked softly.

"What Autumn?" Mikaela asked still chuckling.

"Can I ask you something?" Autumn asked timidly.

"Sure Autumn. In fact… you just did. Somebody once said that the only stupid question is the one you _don't_ ask; so go for it!" Mikaela replied with a smile.

"Are there _really_ porno pictures of Medusa?" Autumn asked doubtfully.

"Yes Autumn… there are. I hate to say it, but there's a ton of perverts out there. Sam showed me something called 'Rule 34' of the internet. That rule says… ' _If it exists, there is porn of it; no exceptions!'_ , and it's true. Have you ever seen 'The Empire Strikes Back'?" Mikaela responded seriously.

"I saw that at my Aunt's house one time, but I never watched much TV." Autumn answered in a sad tone.

"Well then you'll remember those giant four legged walkers that looked kind of like dogs. Sam showed me a picture of two of them having what looked like 'doggie style' sex. Underneath that was a caption that read… _'Rule 34… No Exceptions!'_. There's Rule 34, and then there is Rule 34a, which says 'If no porn of it can be found, then just wait, it is being made somewhere overseas right now'." Mikaela told her.

I was baffled by this conversation until I used the web to learn what was being discussed. As soon as I _did_ know, I wished I had chosen to remain ignorant. Mikaela wasn't joking. There really _is_ porn of Medusa out there! I found it to be _very_ disturbing to know that humans would turn even their _monsters and nightmares_ in to sex objects!

Mikaela opened the five bottles that I had obtained for Autumn and poured them into the container for her, before she opened one for herself.

 **Elita POV**

I walked into the rec room to see Mikaela perched on Autumn's right shoulder. She was sitting there as if she _belonged_ on Autumn's shoulder! Autumn was drinking a container that held some kind of fluid that I knew wasn't energon and a quick scan told me that it was the same thing Mikaela was also drinking.

 **:Did Ratchet give Autumn permission to consume human fluids?:** I quickly asked Chromia over the com system.

 **:Yes, he did. She is limited to one cube of non-carbonated drinks in a 24 hour period and eight ounces of solid food. Her fueling system is different from normal, so she can have those things where** _ **we**_ **can't!:** Chromia answered.

 **:Good! It means that Autumn still has some connection with her previous humanity and it isn't completely gone. If she starts lamenting the loss of who she used to be again, then that will be something we can point out to her. Show her that she hasn't completely lost all that she was, she has simply become something more.:** I sent back.

I stepped over behind Autumn and began to gently stroke her doorwings. I knew that doing so would help relax her, and it was clear that she needed such relaxation. The sparkling femme in front of me is too timid and _way_ too tense right now. Making her see and more importantly _understand_ that she is _not_ disposable won't be something that is quickly or easily accomplished, but we _will_ succeed!

I chose to remain silent and let Mikaela and Autumn talk to each other for several hours. I could see a developing friendship there and I didn't want to interfere with that. Autumn _needed_ friends, she needed someone that she could trust, someone to confide in. Small, confident, brave, and smart… Mikaela seemed as if she just might be that someone. I could only hope so.

I noticed Mikaela tense up when she shifted her position.

"Mikaela… is something wrong?" I asked from behind Autumn.

"I think I twisted my left ankle when I jumped off Autumn's shoulder earlier. Now it's starting to hurt." Mikaela answered.

Autumn turned her head to the right to look at Mikaela for a moment. Then she grabbed Ravage in her left hand and got up from the table.

"Autumn, what are you doing?" I asked at the sudden action.

"I'm taking Mikaela to see Ratchet. She needs a medic now." Autumn answered in a surly tone while not pausing or even hesitating in her actions.

I stood there gaping for a moment because that was _not_ the Autumn I was familiar with! Autumn was usually a very timid femme, but I am not sure that I want to see her like this. There was something _very_ determined in the way she moved.

Mikaela looked back at me sort of helplessly from her seat on Autumn's shoulder and shrugged her shoulders. I could sort of sympathize with her since she was being taken to see the medic whether she wished to go or not.

As soon as Autumn entered the med bay, Ratchet was throwing a wrench and bellowing about how he did _not_ want to be disturbed. Autumn never paused in her stride. Her left hand simply flashed up and caught that wrench before it could hit her.

"Mikaela's hurt because of that slagger Galloway!" Autumn growled as she went to one of the berths and sat Mikaela down on it.

Ratchet stepped away from the large frame that Autumn was in the process of constructing and stepped over to see about Mikaela. Suddenly Autumn struck the medic in his head with his own wrench!

"Don't you _ever_ throw a wrench around her again! Understand? I'll kill you if you do!" Autumn snarled softly but with intense anger.

 **:Don't say anything! I'll try to get her to calm her down.:** I sent to Ratchet quickly.

"Autumn… relax, okay? I'm not hurt that bad. Besides that wrench wasn't heading at me." Mikaela said firmly.

Autumn instantly focused on Mikaela and fixed her with a glare. "That wrench could have bounced off my helm and hit you. As big as it is, you'd be dead, and I'd be left without a friend." Autumn retorted angrily.

"Maybe. But that didn't even get the _chance_ to happen, now did it? You caught that wrench before it could hit anything… hell you caught that thing before I even saw it coming!" Mikaela replied with a grin.

"Maybe I did catch it… but what if I hadn't?" Autumn demanded in a desperate sounding whisper. "I… I don't want to lose the few friends I have." She added in distress.

"Like I said… _relax_! I'm not going anywhere… and neither is Elita. Chromia, Arcee, Jazz and Ravage aren't going anywhere either. So I don't think you have anything to worry about." Mikaela returned with an easy confidence.

I guess Autumn accepted that statement as a fact because she simply nodded her head and stepped back to allow Ratchet room to examine Mikaela.


	48. Chapter 48

**Elita POV**

Ratchet took his time looking Mikaela over, asking her where it hurt, how bad, and how she did it. When she told him, he started laughing.

"Good! That rotten slagger has caused nothing _but_ trouble!" Ratchet said with a grin.

"I hope I'm there to see it when he opens his mouth too far and says something that gets him what he deserves. Maybe he'll be stupid enough to mouth off to Starscream or something." Ratchet mused. "As much as I hate Starscream… I'd _still_ have to hold my fire so I can see what happens to the slagger!" He added with a bright smile.

"I'm surprised that Ravage didn't kill him." I exclaimed.

"I think the _only_ reason Ravage didn't kill him right then and there is because I needed some help to get back over to Autumn. Ravage actually carried me back over to her." Mikaela said while looking over at me.

Ravage didn't give any sign that she was the topic of discussion except to snuggle closer to Autumn's chest. Autumn turned and sat down next to Mikaela on her right, hovering over the girl protectively. That was when it struck me… Autumn's strange behavior, combined with what she'd said to Mikaela, and her tragic past. All of that added up to the fact that Autumn was so desperate for companionship, that she would do _anything_ she could to hold on to someone she trusted. By getting hurt in her defense, I have begun to strongly suspect that Mikaela has fully earned Autumn's trust.

"Well you've managed to strain the joints of both your left ankle and your left knee, although the ankle is the worst of the two. So stay _off_ of it!" Ratchet ordered in a growl.

"Don't you snap at her!" Autumn ordered softly. "She hasn't been mean to you, so don't be mean to her!"

"Autumn… chill out a little!" Mikaela said with a frown. "That's just how Ratchet is. He's always a grouch."

"Well he needs to stop being so mean to those who don't deserve it." Autumn muttered sullenly while glaring at Ratchet.

"Just relax Autumn, and don't take it so personally. I sure don't." Mikaela said casually.

Autumn only nodded her head while watching Mikaela closely. I could tell that Autumn was ready to become very violent in Mikaela's defense if she thought that it was necessary. Even though she didn't' have any weapons, such a conflict would be dangerous because she might well be fighting to kill, while anyone in opposition to her would be trying to subdue Autumn without causing damage to her frame. That kind of thing could not be easily accomplished no matter how you looked at it.

That was when I noticed Mikaela looking at Autumn with narrowed eyes and a slight frown on her face.

"Autumn… you really _do_ need to relax!" Mikaela said firmly.

"I… I am relaxed." Autumn tried to protest.

I knew she was lying from the position of her doorwings, and I was about to say something when Mikaela beat me to it.

"No you aren't. Don't even try to lie to me Autumn, because I'm not stupid. Normally… those doors of yours are all _over_ the place… but right now they're sticking straight up and not even _twitching_! So don't tell me you're relaxed Autumn, because you aren't." Mikaela said in a firm tone but using a gentle voice and a light smile at the same time.

"Autumn… being human, Mikaela doesn't know how to read your emotions from the position of your doorwings, but even _she_ can tell that you are tensed up. So you really do need to relax, because nothing is going to happen to you in here." I told her sincerely.

"It's not _me_ I'm worried about!" Autumn protested quickly.

"Autumn… if I thought that anything was going to hurt me or kill me in here, do you _really_ think I would have let you _bring_ me here?" Mikaela asked with a disbelieving smirk on her face.

"No." Autumn admitted softly.

"Okay then. Just relax. Ratchet knows what he's doing." Mikaela replied.

"Yes I do, so I'm glad you admit that. The first thing I'm going to do is remove that cast so you can get a decent shower. Sweat, grime, and dead skin cells have accumulated beneath that cast, and that stuff needs to be removed. After you get a good shower, I'll put a new cast on your wrist and wrap your ankle for you. Besides, you're probably starting to get cold in that bikini." Ratchet groused loudly.

"Well if I can't put any weight on my ankle then it'll have to be a bath, and I'd need help getting in and out of the tub." Mikaela shot back.

"True." Ratchet admitted in a huff of annoyance.

"I… I could take her into a wash rack." Autumn said in a near whisper.

"That's fine. You need to get cleaned up too! So you can help Mikaela with whatever she needs. There's a room right through that door with a wash rack in the room beyond. Plenty of privacy for both of you." Ratchet said as he pointed out the door next to his office door and headed over to his desk.

"Mikaela, Here's your back pack with your clothes in it. Is there any thing else you need?" I asked as I pulled her back pack from a subspace compartment.

"I thought I gave it to Arcee… how did you get it?" Mikaela asked in confusion.

"Arcee gave it to me after we got back just before I met up with you in the rec room." I told her.

"Oh. Okay, thanks." Mikaela replied as she accepted the back pack with her left hand.

"Just a moment. Let me take that cast off for you." Ratchet said as he stepped over to the berth with a rotary saw that had a very small blade on it.

"This blade won't cut completely through the cast, so I'll have to break it off afterwards, but there's no chance of it cutting your skin this way, and a mere half millimeter of plaster is easily broken." Ratchet said before started to work.

I watched as Ratchet cut the cast into five sections so that it could be easily removed.

"Here, let me." Mikaela said when Ratchet finished with the saw. She brought her left fist down on top of the cast and a muted crack was heard as it broke in several places and fell off.

" _Now_ I can get a _good_ shower!" Mikaela said with a bright smile.

 **Autumn POV**

I picked Mikaela up and started to walk towards the room at the back of the med bay when Ratchet stopped me.

"Here… she'll need these." Ratchet told me grouchily. I swear he doesn't know how to be nice about _anything_!

I looked at the stuff he put in my left servo. It was a bunch of bathing supplies, soap, body wash, shampoo, razor, things like that along with three thick fluffy towels.

"Yes!" Mikaela squealed in delight.

She seemed to be so happy about getting a shower that I couldn't help but grin with her.

"Autumn, I hope you don't mind, but I kinda plan to take a while because I haven't been able to _properly_ wash my hair since I broke my wrist." Mikaela said hopefully as she looked up at me.

"Don't worry about it. There's _lots_ of hot water, so we can be in there all day long… or at least until one of us gets hungry." I told her.

Mikaela started laughing. "Well I think it's time we showed them just how long a girl can take when she wants to, don't you?" She said with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

I couldn't resist the giggle that burbled from me. Ratchet wasn't going to be very happy about us taking forever, but then he was never happy about anything any way. I sat Mikaela down on the bench that was big enough for me and a couple more bot my size and put the bathing supplies along with her back pack next to her. She began taking off her bikini while I started removing my armor. She got done long before I did and she was watching me strip down. That made me very nervous because I wasn't used to it.

"I've never had a chance to look at a bot without their armor before. I caught a quick glimpse of Optimus when he first landed, but was all. Except for being made out of metal and stuff, you don't look all that different. It looks like you even have some kind of metal vagina between your legs." Mikaela said as she kept looking at me.

"It… it's called a _valve_ … and I don't pee out of it, but it still works the same for sex." I told her hesitantly.

"You can still have _sex_? How do you know it still works the same? What, have you actually _had_ sex as a bot?" Mikaela demanded with wide eyes.

"Yeah… when I was spark bonded to Bluestreak we made love a few times, so that's how I know." I replied nervously.

"Way to _go_ girl! Well? Was it good? Did you enjoy it? Don't keep me in the dark… tell me about it!" Mikaela said with a smile.

"It was _really_ good! Bluestreak was gentle, tender, and loving. Because of our Bond, I could feel how much he loves me, and I could even feel what he did. It was incredible." I told her as I finished taking off the last of my armor.

"Wait! You could feel what _he_ did while you were having sex with him? What was it like, and how does _that_ work?" Mikaela asked with wide eyes as I picked her up to take her into the actual wash rack.

"I don't _know_ how it works! All I know is that when Blue and were Bonded, I could everything he did, and he could feel everything I did. Our thoughts, memories… everything… sometimes I think I could have seen things through his optics." I answered sadly. I was still hurt that it had been taken away from me.

"So it was kinda like that Vulcan mind meld thing from Star Trek?" Mikaela asked curiously.

"Sort of… except it was all the time, not just when we were together." I explained as I turned on the water.

"Wow…" Mikaela muttered softly before she went quiet.

I got the water adjusted to the temperature that she liked and found that she liked a _hot_ shower! Her skin started turning red immediately.

"Are you sure it's not just a little too hot? I can turn it down a bit." I asked in concern.

I admit that I was worried about her. Thanks to her, I'd gotten to do things I'd never done before. The bonfire, campout, sleeping under the stars, the Girl's Night Out… I'd never have gotten to do any of that if it weren't for her.

"Nope! Don't do anything; this is just the way I like it." Mikaela smiled.

"Besides the hot water won't last. It never does." Mikaela lamented softly.

"It will this time. They use some kind of water heater that doesn't have a tank on it, so there's always lots of hot water." I told her.

Mikaela smiled and started washing her hair. I sat down on the floor of the wash rack and placed Mikaela on my right thigh so I could start washing up too.

We spent a couple of hours under that spray of hot water. Mikaela had washed her hair, shaved her legs, and then she shaved her pubic hair off. I had heard that some women would do that, but I had never understood why, so I asked.

"Well… it feels really gross when that hair gets all sweaty and stuff, plus it means I'm a whole lot easier to clean up after Sam and I go at it. If I have pubic hair then it holds my fluids, his cum, and makes for a really big mess. If I'm bald, then I only need to use a few baby wipes and I'm good to go after a quickie." Mikaela told me honestly.

"Oh." I didn't know what to say to that. I mean, what _could_ I say? Then I remembered the mess I'd made of myself when Blue and I had fragged.

"You don't like being a dripping mess either do you?" I asked her suddenly.

"No, I don't." Mikaela admitted. "Wait… you can still _cum_?" She added in surprise.

"Yeah, I think so… at least… I'm pretty _sure_ I did. I know I had dried lubricants all down my thighs the next morning. Blue told me I needed to wash it all off so the others don't smell it." I answered.

Mikaela turned around on my thigh to face me with a conspiratorial smile. "Damn girl! Sounds like you two went at it hard, fast, and heavy!"

I nodded my head and smiled a little as I thought about it. "Yeah… I guess we did."

Mikaela started laughing merrily. "You _guess_ huh?"

"Don't worry; I'm not going to tell anyone. That little secret stays between you, me, and the drain." Mikaela said with a smile and a wink.

I reached up to turn off the water because I really had no idea what to say. I'd never had someone that I could share a secret with before. Because I couldn't talk, I'd never been able to _share_ a secret before! I'm pretty sure that all the other bots know that I love Bluestreak, and if bots talked the way human boys did, then all of them knew he'd fragged me several times. I haven't told the other femmes that Blue and I had fragged, so they might not know, so how could this be a secret? I wasn't sure, but I do know one thing because it's something I've always heard. Only a _true_ friend will keep a secret!

I took Mikaela back to the dressing room I guess you'd call it, so we could dry off and get dressed… well _she_ could get dressed, and I could put my armor back on. Since the bench was wide enough for me, I wasn't worried about her falling off, so I focused on putting my armor back on. When I turned to check on her, Mikaela was looking at me with a smirk on her face.

"At least you don't have to worry about fixing your hair, getting your make up _just_ right, picking out your clothes, and figuring out what shoes you're going to wear… _then_ deciding on what perfume to go with it all!" Mikaela said as I put my right servo down on the bench for her to climb on.

I had to admit that I had never really focused on any of that. I never had a reason to. Until I got here on the base, I'd never even had a friend… forget about any kind of boyfriend to dress up for… but that last thing made me think.

"I… I can still wear perfume." I protested.

Mikaela looked surprised. "You're absolutely right! You _can_ wear perfume! Remind me to get you some tomorrow." She said seriously.

"Okay." I couldn't help but smile. I had never been able to afford any kind of perfume when I lived with my father, because I always had to spend what little money I could get my hands on for something to eat.

I grabbed all the rest of her stuff with my left servo and walked back into the med bay. Ratchet told me to place everything on his desk before looking at me hard.

"Autumn, I want you to put Mikaela down on my desk, drink a cube of energon and get some recharge… right over there!" Ratchet said while pointing at an empty berth.

I set Mikaela down on his desk like her told me to, and then I flinched away from him because his right servo came towards me fast.

"I was going to pat you on the shoulder, not rip your helm off." Ratchet said angrily.

"Could have fooled me." I muttered as I stepped away from the perpetually angry medic.

Elita handed me a cube of energon and I drank it down while I watched Ratchet put a cast back on Mikaela's right wrist and an ace bandage on her left ankle. She'd gotten hurt both times because she'd been sticking up for me. Because of that I knew that I had to do something for her, after what she did for me, I'm going to do my best to watch out for her. I have to, she's my friend.

 **Mikaela POV**

Ratchet wrapped my ankle nice and tight, but not enough to cut off the circulation. That was a good thing because as late as it was, I knew I'd be sleeping with it on. He disappeared into his office for a minute and came back with a twin size bed.

"You'll be sleeping in here tonight so I can keep an optic on you. I know how stubborn you can be, and I'll make _sure_ that bandage stays on all night!" He told me grouchily.

"Okay, Ratchet." I laughed. 

He might act grumpy and grouchy, but I know he really cares. I saw that in Mission City when he thought Jazz was dead. I'm really glad Optimus used the last of the power that was in that splinter to revive him after Ratchet put him back together again. I started to get in bed, and saw Autumn laying down on her back with those doors spread out. Ravage jumped up on the berth for a minute and Autumn petted the metal panther.

"Good night Autumn!" I called out cheerily.

"Goodnight Mikaela, sleep well." Autumn said drowsily.

When Ravage jumped down an instant later, I knew Autumn was already asleep. I laid down and slid into downtown Snoresville myself.

I woke up to the sound of someone welding on something and not being very quiet about it. I sat up and looked around to see Autumn welding on the leg of a _really_ big bot! I mean that thing is _huge_! It's almost big enough to hold _Autumn_ like she does _me_! Okay, so maybe that's a bit of exaggeration, but still, that thing would be able to carry her around like a baby or something… that's how big it is!

"Autumn, what are you doing? I was having a great dream about driving a Lamborghini." I demanded sourly.

Okay, I admit it. I'm not a very nice person when I get woken up early.

"Mikaela… that isn't Autumn. We know it's her frame, but there is someone else in it that we haven't figured out yet." Arcee told me calmly.

"What? You mean she's schizo or something?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's entirely possible. Neither Prowl who has a Creator's Bond with her nor Soundwave who is a telepath can determine who it is, because Autumn is still in recharge right now." Ratchet answered.

"Put me over there! I don't believe this!" I snapped angrily.

I'm not going to just let this slide. I've seen for myself that Autumn doesn't try to start trouble, but now she's in it deep!

Arcee picked me up and started top take me over to where Autumn was working on the _huge_ bot. I took a quick glance at it, and then did a double take. That face…

The face on that bot is the same face that Autumn built in the sand… the one she said was her mother!

"That's her _mother's_ face!" I almost shouted.

"What?" Arcee and Ratchet demanded at the same time.

"Arcee, _look_ at it! That's the same face she made when we were building sand castles!" I told her.

"You're right Mikaela… it is. She's had that part completed for several days now." Arcee said quietly.

"That may be, but something changed." Ratchet said quickly.

"What do you mean?" Arcee asked.

"She's not putting the same detail into the legs as she did the arms. That's why she's working on the last part now." Ratchet explained.

I could see that he was telling the truth. Autumn was closing the right leg after finishing the last part of it. The other leg was already done. That's when Autumn did something weird. She removed her chest armor and set that to one side. Then she slid open her chest and leaned in close to the bot.

At that point I was _really_ wishing I had a good pair of dark shades, because that was _bright_! I scrunched up my eyes and peeked through my T-shirt, but that only helped a little. I could see a solid blast of light going from Autumn's chest into the chest of the bot still on the berth. This went on for a couple of minutes before it stopped. I saw Autumn's chest slide closed and then she collapsed! I thought she was going to fall to the floor, but the right arm of that _huge_ bot flashed out and caught her!

 **Well… leave a review, and tell me your thoughts. I will respond to ALL logged in reviews!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Kinetica POV**

I reached out and quickly caught Autumn as she fell. Even though she has been fueling quite frequently, she didn't really have enough energy for me to do this yet. I had no choice… it _has_ to be now! I sat up and cradled her gently while I reattached her chest armor. I would _not_ leave her helpless in the presence of others, or at all really.

"Okay… just who the hell _are_ you, and what the hell are you doing to Autumn?"

I turned my head to see that it was the young human girl who had spoken. I gave her a light smile before I placed Autumn back on her berth. As I laid her frame down, she woke up.

"Mami?" She asked me with a desperate hope in her optics.

"Not entirely Autumn. I'm not your human mother. She's gone and I can't give her back to you, but I _am_ your mother in that _I_ was the one who changed you from a human into a bot. So yes, in a way, I am your mother." I answered calmly.

"Go to sleep now. I'll be right here when you wake up." I told her.

The sweet little femme did as she was instructed and dropped into recharge immediately.

"You didn't answer my question… _who are you and what are you doing to Autumn_?" Mikaela demanded as she got angry.

I smiled over at her as I stepped over to the cabinet containing the energon and grabbed five cubes of high grade. I tore the top off of one and instantly drained it. That would give me enough power to operate for a few minutes until I had a bit more time to consume the rest.

"Relax Mikaela." I could see the surprise on her face as I called her by name. "Yes I know who you are, just as I know who _all_ the bots are! I also know the names and faces of everyone Autumn has come into contact with after finding my remains."

I could see that my answer only confused her even more. Now not only was she getting angrier, but Ratchet and Arcee were also starting to become annoyed.

"To answer both questions at once. I am… or rather, I _was_ … the All Spark."

"Primus!" Arcee whispered in shock.

"You! You were the one who was building that frame the whole time! That why it has some much memory space… isn't it?" Ratchet demanded.

"Yes Ratchet, it is. I would have waited several more days, so that Autumn could continue getting extra fuel, but she is worse than you know. That is why I had no choice but to do this now. The legs of this frame are not up to the standards of the rest of it and right now I am _extremely_ low on power, but again… I had no choice. Autumn is desperate." I said as I tried to explain.

"I know." Arcee said softly.

"What do you mean? How can you know Autumn's condition?" I asked curiously.

"Chromia both saw and _heard_ her last night as she _begged_ her offlined mother for help." Arcee answered seriously. "If you really _are_ the All Spark, then you'll be able to help her… won't you?"

"Of course I can… and I _will_!" I answered firmly.

"Even though I shielded and protected her from more than ninety nine percent of the pain, changing her was _still_ thesingle most agonizing thing she's ever been through! Had there been more left of my original form, or if I'd had more power, I might have been able to shelter her from more of it. I can not change what has happened to her already, but I can, and _will_ help her to shape her future." I lamented sadly.

I was about to say more when the door to the med bay slid open and Prowl burst in with a surprisingly angry expression.

"What has occurred that I am now unable to sense Autumn through our bond?" Prowl demanded while looking straight at Ratchet.

"I dissolved the bond you had with Autumn, because _I_ now have a Creator Bond with her." I told him.

"Who are you to decide who Autumn has a bond with?" Prowl demanded sternly.

"Considering that I am the one who actually created her… or rather changed her from human to bot, I have more right to a Creator Bond with Autumn than anyone else." I answered as I towered over him.

There was a loud ' _pop_ ', and Prowl started to fall over. I didn't allow that to happen. I caught the mech and laid him down on the berth I had occupied. Ratchet started over to work on Prowl.

"No," I said holding up my right hand. "If you force his systems to reboot, he'll have a severe processor ache as a result. If you leave him be, he'll reboot in a few minutes and be fine afterwards."

"How exactly can you know that?" Ratchet asked irritably.

"I may not have been the one to create his spark, but I know the sparks of _all_ Cybertronians!" I answered.

I turned my attention to one of the cubes of high grade and after opening it, I quickly drained it. Neither Arcee nor Ratchet seemed to be pleased with the speed I used in consuming the fuel. The critical power level warnings in my HUD were to be expected, but they were a bother at the moment.

"If you really _are_ the All Spark then you'd know not to refuel that fast!" Ratchet snarled as he tried to harangue me.

"Right now, more than a fourth of my systems are shut down because of critically low power levels. I am forced to override emergency stasis lock every few seconds or so. The only way to stop that is to refuel as promptly as possible." I replied.

"How can your systems be that low if you were just sparked?" Arcee asked in a tone of near horror.

"Arcee..." I began gently. "Do you honestly believe that Autumn could retain enough power in her frame to sustain her _and_ power me?"

"Her tanks aren't _nearly_ large enough." Ratchet protested firmly.

"I know. I wasn't about to jeopardize Autumn by providing this frame with any more power than was absolutely _vital_! I can, and _will_ divert whatever power is needed from other systems so that I can remain online and help her. As it is, she will need a pair of cubes when she wakes up." I said simply.

"How do I know you aren't just feeding us a load of Bull? Autumn went through absolute hell before she got here, and I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to sit back while she goes through more!" Mikaela said angrily.

I tore open the third cube and drained it. Setting down the empty container next to Prowl, I reached out and took her gently from Arcee's hand.

"You and I are in _full_ agreement on that Mikaela! Since Soundwave killed her father..."

" _What_?" Ratchet bellowed in shock. "What do you mean Soundwave killed her father? I saw that broadcast, and that rotten slagger killed _himself_!"

"That waste of minerals only killed himself because he was _completely_ under Soundwave's control... as were the reporters. Soundwave arranged _all_ of it... _including_ making sure that Autumn saw that broadcast." I answered calmly.

"I've never met this 'Soundwave'... who is he?" Mikaela asked as she looked up at me.

"Soundwave is a bot that is also a telepath of impressive power. Controlling that many humans could not have been easy, even for him, because he also had to control those in charge of allowing that live broadcast to be aired. While Ravage does consider him to be her Pridemaster and therefore her leader, she actually shares a symbiotic relationship with him, so that their health is reliant upon that of the other as well." I began to explain.

"Wait! Does that mean that when Frenzy and Rumble were killed that _all_ of them were affected?" Arcee asked.

"Yes, Arcee it does. They were all rendered nonfunctional for more than a month after each death. Soundwave is truly concerned about Autumn because he believes that she is the last bot I will ever create. While that is not the case, he won't give up his self appointed task very easily. He will protect Autumn from Unicron himself if it comes down to it." I said looking at Arcee.

"He wouldn't succeed if that became the case." Ratchet said heavily.

"Do not underestimate Soundwave's resolve, Ratchet. If Unicron is aware of a weakness within himself, Soundwave would learn it, and use it." I lectured.

"Well he couldn't get a reading on _you_!" Ratchet retorted.

"That is because his spark is tied to my own... as are the sparks of _all_ Cybertronians! He might as well have been trying to read himself." I answered.

"That makes sense." Mikaela said simply.

"I'm glad you think so. Now as I was saying... since Soundwave killed Autumn's father, there is only _one_ individual who holds any animosity towards Autumn, and giving voice to that hostility in _my_ presence will become a _very_ serious mistake on his part." I finished firmly.

"I can't allow you to kill Director Galloway." Arcee said seriously.

"I have no intention of _doing_ anything to him... I plan to have his _superiors_ do it for me." I said with a smile.

 **Mikaela POV**

I was sitting in the right hand of that over sized bot calling herself Kinetica. I have to say, she might not be painted or anything, but she cuts a nice figure, that's for sure! She had the same face that Autumn said was her mother, and the voice… _wow_! It was soft, _very_ feminine, musical… almost _angelic_ somehow! It was the kind of voice you wanted to hear as a scared little kid when someone said everything would be okay.

I'd had a few long talks with Optimus, so I _knew_ what Sam destroyed when he shoved the All Spark into Megatron's chest. The All Spark was not just life for their world… it had been life for _them_! The All Spark was the mother of their entire _race_! Now there was this bot… this bot who was claiming to actually _be_ the All Spark! I wanted to believe that… _God_ how I wanted to believe it! For some reason… I did.

I was only wearing a T-shirt and panties, but this bot who was holding me, some how made me feel just fine about that. I think I could be stark naked in her hand and feel completely comfortable with it no matter _who_ saw me. I didn't really know her, but something told me I could trust her with no problems. It was weird, because I could feel that no matter what, I would be completely safe with her.

I watched Kinetica reach down and poke a hole in the tops of the other two cubes of energon she'd grabbed. She picked up one and slugged it down like someone taking a dose of medicine that they really hated. Then she picked up the other one and did the same.

As soon as Kinetica put the empty cube down, the door to the med bay slid open. I looked up to see who had come in, and just _knew_ that a fight was about to go down!

Optimus had come in, followed by Ironhide, Bluestreak, Jazz, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe. I knew about the 'Terror Twins' as they were called, because Bumblebee had told Sam and I all about them. They were great at pulling off practical jokes, made some awesome high grade, and were the best at close quarters fighting since they had been Gladiators.

"Ratchet… what happened? I can't sense Autumn through Prowl's Bond with her anymore!" Bluestreak exclaimed frantically.

That's when all of them started looking at Kinetica.

"Why… why do you have the face of Autumn's human mother?" Bluestreak asked in apparent horror.

"The answer to both of your questions is simple Bluestreak. You may call me Kinetica. I am the one who caused Autumn to change from a human into a bot. Because of that, I dissolved your brother's Bond with Autumn and formed my own Creation Bond with her. She is my creation and I know that you care for her very much, so you need to understand that she is safe. Right now, she'll be in recharge for a short while longer." Kinetica said easily.

"Ratchet, have you scanned her yet?" Optimus asked heavily.

"No." Ratchet said in a growl.

"I think you should." Optimus answered quietly.

" _Primus_!" Ratchet whispered a second later. "She… she really _is_ the All Spark!" He said in a shocked tone of awe.

Kinetica chuckled musically as she looked over at the electric green medic. "I _did_ tell you, didn't I?"

"Well dat xsplains ah lot!" Jazz laughed.

"Exactly _how_ does it explain _anything_?" Ratchet retorted angrily.

"Dat's why she knew those strikes. Ah ain't showed _nobody_ those hits, an she _knew_ em! She coulda killed meh, if she'd a wanted ta, but nah! She didn' do dat. Autumn woulda _never_ knew those hits or how ta use em, but she did. Means, it was her tha whole time." Jazz countered with a grin aimed at Kinetica.

"Very astute observation Jazz, and don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." Kinetica said with a nod.

Jazz started laughing hard while the other bots looked puzzled.

Kinetica smiled closed her hand around me into a fist that didn't crush me or even make me uncomfortable. Before I could say anything about it, I was being moved away from her body and there was a squealed shout.

" _Mami_!"

The next thing I know Autumn is curled against her left side and being held with one arm like a small child. If I had understood everything right, that's exactly what she was.

"Careful Little One, you almost injured your friend." Kinetica chided with a smile.

Autumn looked over at me and I could see the hurt on her face. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I didn't get hurt, so don't worry about it. Besides, she's looking out for me." I shot back with a nod towards Kinetica.

That's when Autumn looked up at Kinetica, and the smile she gave could have lit up the whole island.


	50. Chapter 50

**Autumn POV**

I couldn't really believe it! Okay so she isn't my _human_ Carrier, but I knew… I could _feel_ that she was telling me the truth when she said she was my Carrier! She _created_ me, and I just _knew_ that. I clung to her like a lost child holding on to her mother. I was finally _safe_! I knew it… no bot would be able to do anything to me with her around, and here I am safe in her arms.

'Mami' loves me! I know she does, because I can feel it! It's a warm gentle feeling that spreads throughout my whole frame. It leaves me feeling like I'm out of breath even though I don't breathe anymore. It just feels so… _good_!

I haven't heard her designation, and I don't care what it is either. I'm going to call her 'Mami'! It's the same thing I called my human Carrier when I was little. It's German for Mommy and I think it fits her perfectly!

I looked her over to see what she really looked like since I hadn't really seen anything except her face plates. When I did, my optics bugged! I'd seen a few human women with that kind of figure in magazine pictures, but I never thought I'd _meet_ one! She didn't have any armor yet, so it was her bare protoform I was looking at. Mami was _naked_! Still, she had a _real_ hourglass figure that put every human woman I'd ever seen to shame. Her chest plates made it look like she had a good sized bust on her for her size, a narrow waist, and hips that flared out in a way that _screamed_ sexy!

Mami smiled at me and then she put Mikaela on my right shoulder. I looked over at my friend a little worriedly.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. I could use some coffee right now though. _Somebody_ started making a bunch of noise and woke me up early!" Mikaela said smiling even though she finished off by glaring at Mami.

"I'm really very sorry about that Mikaela, but I simply couldn't wait any longer. Why don't you get some shorts or something on, and I'll take you both to the rec room so you can have some coffee, and Autumn can get some energon?" Mami said smoothly.

That voice! It's the same one I remember… well _barely_ remember! But it sure sounds the way I remember it. My bot Mami looks and sounds exactly the way I remember my human Mami. It's like having her again. I know she's not the same, but somehow, that doesn't matter… because she's _here_!

"Sounds good to me! What about you Autumn?" Mikaela asked me.

"I could use some energon… actually, I think I need a lot of it." I answered as I checked my HUD. It showed my power levels at 28% which is low enough to make Ratchet start yelling if he finds out, so I better down some fuel before he does.

Mami turned to the back of the medbay, but Optimus stepped in front of her. That is when my optics _really_ bugged! I had _never_ looked down at Optimus before… as big as he is; he only comes up to the bottom of Mami's chest! He's a _lot_ bigger than I am, but _she_ is even bigger than he is! That is when I knew it… I don't have to be scared of him anymore! Mami will protect me!

 **Arcee POV**

I watched as Optimus stood in front of Kinetica. As large and imposing as he can be because of his size, she was still a lot bigger.

"What are your plans regarding Autumn?" He asked seriously.

"Immediately, or long term?" Kinetica replied lightly. "Immediately, I plan to take her to the rec room because she needs to refuel. My long term plans are to ensure her adjustment to being a Cybertronian so that she is not only comfortable among us, but happy to be with us."

"You believe that you can succeed in this where we haven't? The kind of torment that Autumn has endured will take time to heal… a _lot_ of it." Optimus shot back with narrowed optics.

"That's true. However, I have an advantage that hasn't been available to you. I know _exactly_ what Autumn has endured from the time she was born. She both loved and _cherished_ her human mother, and even though she now has only a couple of memories left, that love has never wavered. I will see to it that she recovers _all_ of the pleasant memories of her mother! Rose Michelle Mondschein was a woman to be proud of; she was a _very_ honorable person who loved her daughter fiercely. I fully intend to give Autumn that same intensity of love because she needs it." Kinetica answered calmly.

"You seem quite certain that this will make a difference where Bluestreak's love did not." Optimus stated gravely.

Autumn was swiveling her head as she looked back and forth between the two worriedly. It was plain to see that she was scared and nervous, but I had no doubts that Optimus wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and I was sure that Kinetica wasn't going to hurt Autumn either.

I saw Kinetica give a sad but beautiful smile as she looked down at Optimus.

"Yes Bluestreak loved her. He still does, and she loves him just as much. He loves Autumn with his entire spark… but he isn't her Carrier. Autumn is still young enough that she has a physical _need_ for the love of at least one of her parents. With her human mother being killed so early in her life, and her father being what he was; it is now up to _me_ to give Autumn what she needs, and I will _enjoy_ doing exactly that!" Kinetica said firmly before she looked at Autumn and smiled brightly.

There was an almost hypnotized look on Autumn's face as she reached up and gently caressed Kinetica's cheek. She was completely enraptured and I could understand why. As I recalled everything I knew about Autumn, I remembered what Soundwave had said over the comm system. According to him, Autumn needed a femme in a position of authority; one that would protect her, and love her while giving her the physical and emotional support that she needs. With Kinetica being the All Spark, there could be no doubts about her absolute authority among _all_ Cybertronians! This strange new development meant that Autumn now had _exactly_ what she needed most, because I could see that she really did care about Autumn.

"Now, Optimus… Mikaela needs to get some proper clothes on before she appears in public, and Autumn needs to refuel. Anything else to be discussed needs to take place in the rec room while these two are having their requirements met." Kinetica said firmly.

That was when Mikaela fixed Optimus with a fairly fierce glare and almost growled as she spoke. "Coffee, now! Why is that a problem?" She demanded.

Optimus nodded and stepped aside. Kinetica walked over to Ratchet's desk and lifted her hand to Autumn's right shoulder where she picked up Mikaela and placed her gently on the desk so she could get some proper clothes on. Mikaela grabbed a pair of cut off shorts and quickly pulled them on. As soon as she did, Kinetica picked her up and put her back on Autumn's right shoulder.

As Kinetica turned to leave the med bay, I saw Mikaela grabbing hold of Autumn's frame with her left hand so she could hold on. That alone showed me that Kinetica was being conscientious about what she was doing, because putting Mikaela on Autumn's left shoulder would have been much easier, but Mikaela would have had a difficult time of holding on to Autumn with her cast.

As Kinetica walked towards the entrance to the med bay Prowl sat up. A frown graced his features for a moment before he stood up and turned to face Ratchet.

"My lack of a severe processor ache is indicative that you have deviated from your normal procedure. I would inquire as to what exactly you did." Prowl stated curiously.

"You mean you normally have a strong processor ache after being rebooted?" Ratchet asked insistently.

Prowl merely nodded and crossed his arms while waiting for the CMO to answer his question.

"Then Kinetica was right. Letting you reboot on your own avoids the pain that a manual reboot causes." Ratchet said while he frowned as he thought about that.

"That would indeed appear to be the case." Prowl said before facing Kinetica.

I saw Prowl look her over for a moment before he fixed his gaze firmly on Autumn.

"It would seem that your presence is actually beneficial to Autumn. It is rare to see her smile and I have only witnessed that when she is interacting with Ravage or Bluestreak.

Sunstreaker snorted derisively. "Ha! You should have seen her that first day Sides and I were showing her how to drive. She was so happy she was jumping up and down."

"Really?" Prowl demanded in doubt.

"Yes. Autumn was quite thrilled with her achievements that day. She enjoys learning from those two." Kinetica stated in response.

"That information is very interesting, because to my knowledge, no one actually _enjoys_ interacting with those two." Prowl said seriously.

Both of the Terror twins looked like they were ready to blow some gaskets at that remark.

"While _others_ might find them difficult to deal with, Autumn finds them to be very enjoyable to learn from, and she is very eager to continue her lessons with them. They have been firm, but also kind in their dealings with her. That is the reason I wish for them to continue teaching her. The size of my frame will preclude assuming an alt mode with the performance necessary to teach Autumn properly. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are exceptional in their driving abilities and they have demonstrated an appropriate level of skill at teaching others; once one adds Autumn's eagerness to learn from them in the equation, you will see that having Autumn continue her lessons with them is for the best." Kinetica said firmly.

I _really_ couldn't believe what I was hearing! Someone was not just defending the twins but actually _complimenting_ them on something that had nothing to do with fighting or making high grade! It was a first for me to hear such a thing.

Prowl arched a brow ridge while looking at Kinetica seriously. "You do not believe that their temperaments could be detrimental to Autumn's development?

"No I don't!" Kinetica answered firmly. "While they might be considered surly by others, they too care about Autumn in their own way. That is why she is progressing so rapidly. They enable Autumn to enjoy learning from them even as they make her push herself to her limits. They actively _encourage_ Autumn to do her best, and they even compliment her when she performs well. They are _excellent_ driving instructors for her!"

I looked over at the twins to see that they each looked like someone had hit them… _hard_! They were gaping at Kinetica. Apparently they had never expected someone to say anything good about them. I have to admit, I never expected it either.

Ironhide had turned his head to look at the two speculatively, and Optimus was nodding.

"Most tend to think I only keep them around for their fighting skills, but I have said before that there is far more to those two than meets the eye." Optimus said with a nod.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe turned their disbelieving faces to Optimus and gaped at him.

"Of _course_ there is!" Kinetica said fervently as she fixed Optimus with a hard look. "Otherwise they would have joined the Decepticons. No one can endure what they have been through without being affected in some way. Yes… they've been forced to maim others… they've also been forced to kill so many times that even _they_ do not know how many times they killed in the arena! However… regardless of what they were made to do by others; they have _not_ lost their sense of honor, compassion, or decency! That is exactly why Sunstreaker _insisted_ that Autumn remain under their tutelage until _they_ are satisfied with her driving performance! Were those two actually even _half_ as cold and callous as many believe them to be… Autumn would have been given a single lesson and left alone to figure out the rest for herself. Even now there are plans to continue instructing Autumn until she doesn't have to think about what she's doing with her alt mode, driving at the peak of her performance abilities will be second nature to her."

"I thought they'd be as mean as Ironhide and Mirage were, but they aren't. They're _fun_! They're even teaching me how to have fun by sliding around a turn and going so fast that if I had wings I'd fly!" Autumn told Kinetica with a smile as she looked up at the bot.

Kinetica laughed with a musical sound as she looked down at Autumn. "And what is that sliding method called again?"

"They called it 'Drifting'! They told me that a squealing tire is a happy tire, but make sure that it's my back tires that have all the fun because I'll lose control and crash if my front tires start squealing." Autumn answered happily.

"Hold it! Time out!" Mikaela bellowed almost angrily from her position on Autumn's shoulder.

"You're learning how to _drift_? In a _Ferrari_?!" Mikaela demanded with wide eyes. "You are _so_ taking me with you for that next lesson!" She added in a firm jealous tone.

"Okay, but Ravage is riding shotgun!" Autumn answered grinning.

That one comment was _very_ surprising to me. Autumn _rarely_ speaks up about something she wants, and when she does… she is very tentative about it… as if she expects to be physically punished for it. A grinning demand like this… is _completely_ unheard of!

"You mean like we did the day before yesterday? I won't mind that at all; we'll all have some fun!" Mikaela retorted eagerly.

That was when Ravage raised up from her spot in a corner of the medbay and stretched. Even though the Cybercat was completely silent while doing this, Kinetica still turned to face her.

"Now that you're awake, you can join us for morning energon." Kinetica said while kneeling down and extending her right hand.

I was surprised that Ravage didn't even hesitate. She jumped into the extended hand and Kinetica stood back up while handing the Cybercat to Autumn.

I know that Ravage is very leery of almost everyone, but there was no reluctance in dealing with Kinetica. Adding her to the number, makes four bots that Ravage will interact with. Soundwave, Autumn, Optimus on one occasion, and Kinetica are the _only_ bots that Ravage has had nonviolent contact with. That alone tells me quite a lot.

As soon as Ravage is in Kinetica's hand, the large Cybercat starts _purring_! That is _very_ surprising to me because it shows that Ravage actually _likes_ Kinetica.

Autumn took Ravage in her left hand with an even wider smile. Once the Cybercat was securely positioned, Autumn looked up at Kinetica with pure adoration in her optics.

The large femme had waited until it was clear that Autumn was ready before she left the med bay and headed straight for the rec room. Upon arrival she quickly selected an empty table and placed Autumn in a seat without upsetting Ravage or even Mikaela.

"I'll be right back." She said before moving to the energon dispenser.

Several of us followed her over there, and she politely stepped back and allowed us to get ours first. It was a very good thing she did, because Kinetica grabbed a tray and loaded it down with twenty cubes of energon! She added a some minerals to three of the cubes added a large container of coffee along with various creams and sweeteners before going back to the table.

She sat down on Autumn's left and put the tray in front of her, and I saw several sets of optics and one pair of eyes bulge at the number of cubes on the tray. There seemed to be enough there for the rest of us, but it was clear that three of those cubes were strictly for Autumn. I suppose that two of them are for Ravage… but that means she plans to consume _fifteen_ cubes of energon!

The first thing Kinetica did, was pass the coffee supplies over to Mikaela before handing a cube to Autumn and opened a cube for Ravage. That was when she slid the tray with the remaining cubes closer to her.

"Is there a good reason to have so many cubes of energon for yourself?" Optimus asked intently.

"Yes, Optimus, there is. My frame contains a lot more systems than your or Ratchet's, which means that my power requirements are much higher. Right now I am still low on power and can't bring several of those systems online yet." Kinetica answered easily as she lifted a cube to drink.

"Parents always need more than their kids. If I need three, then she needs a lot more than that." Autumn said wisely.

"Am I to understand that even after _five_ cubes of high grade that you are _still_ at less than half power?" Ratchet demanded angrily.

"That is correct Ratchet. However, this amount of energon will sustain my frame for quite a while because my systems are also _far_ more efficient than yours." Kinetica replied before drinking almost a fourth of the cube. "I gave Autumn three, because _her_ power levels are also quite low. I will not allow her to descend to such a state again."

"I would inquire as to the exact level of power available to you Autumn." Prowl asked with a frown.

Kinetica answered before Autumn could reply. "She emerged from recharge with a reading of 28%. I am now constantly monitoring her power levels and I can assure you that they will _never_ become so low again."

" _28%_?" Ratchet bellowed. "She was at full capacity when she entered recharge!"

"I know. As I said earlier, I transferred the least amount of power that I could. Even so… I don't like having her power level as low as it is. Right now, she is at 39% thanks to the energon she is drinking, and her energy level will continue to climb." Kinetica answered calmly.

"You are cognizant of Autumn's current energy levels? How is that possible?" Prowl asked.

Everyone began looking at Kinetica intently while waiting for that answer, and I can't blame them. Just _how_ does she know that?

"The Creation Bond I have with Autumn is _far_ more inclusive than any that you or even Ratchet is familiar with. I am aware of Autumn's _entire_ frame… I will know the instant that she receives any damage. Even if it is a simple scuff of her paint. This allows me to monitor her frame status, power levels, and emotional state. If she wishes to, Autumn is also able to communicate with me through that bond. No matter what happens now, she will _never_ be, or _feel_ alone again!" Kinetica answered firmly before finishing the first cube and getting another.

At that point Sunstreaker and Sideswipe both started snickering while looking at each other mischievously.

"What are you two planning now?" Ratchet demanded irritably.

"We're not planning anything, _Hatchet_! That's the same kind of bond my brother and I have, so _you_ may not be familiar with it, but _we_ are!" Sunstreaker retorted with a glare.

"You are absolutely correct Sunstreaker, I have actually formed _two_ bonds with Autumn! The first is a standard Creation Bond, and the other is that of a split spark which you share with your brother. It means that I will be able to closely monitor Autumn without being in her presence. Once she is old enough, I will then give _her_ the option of dissolving those Bonds." Kinetica told Sunstreaker with a smile.

Suddenly Mikaela started laughing heartily. "Somehow, I have a sneaky feeling that things are about to change around her… a _lot_!" 


	51. Chapter 51

**Kinetica POV**

"Really? Just what is it that gives you that impression?" I asked Mikaela with a grin.

"I don't know." She answered with a slight shake of her head. "Something just tells me that you're gonna get some hearts right! And I think you plan to have some fun doing it." She added with a chuckle.

"A mother is _supposed_ to know it when their child gets hurt." Autumn muttered with a frown as she looked at the cube of energon in her hands.

"Now… you'll know if something bad happens to me." Autumn said softly as she looked up at me. " _Won't_ you Mami?" She asked.

I would need to be both blind and deaf not to see the almost desperate hope in her eyes or hear the pleading tone of her voice as she asked me that question. I have shared Autumn's mind for a few months now, I know just how much she needs the love and approval of a parent, someone that she can look up to and actually love. The man that she unfortunately had to call her father wasn't someone that she could love, and he _certainly_ wasn't someone she could admire because there was nothing that was even remotely admirable about him.

My remains had been in the possession of Samuel Witwicky for several months. I knew how much he wanted to make things work with Mikaela, and how much his parents actually cared about him. That was why I arranged to leave his possession. As soon as Autumn lifted what little was left of me, I felt it.

I could feel Autumn's desperation, fear, loneliness, despair, and even her fierce longing for someone that actually cared about her. The instant I felt those things from her, I knew. I knew that I could, and _would_ be that someone! I would see to it that this child received a much better life than she'd had. She would be loved and cared for, because I would remake her body into that of my own child, so that I could become her mother.

Some might wonder why I would even bother with her when there were other bots available like Ratchet or Optimus who could _easily_ have provided me with a frame much sooner. To that I say, I am already the mother of an entire species, so it is in my nature to care for others. Autumn knows well the emotional pain of loss because she feels it so _acutely_ that it has become almost a physical sensation. That pain is very similar to my own. I was forced to do nothing but watch as my children were killed many terrible ways… some in the horrible fashion of being spark raped to death, and I felt every part of it. By helping Autumn to overcome the pain of her loss, I will also overcome my own.

Autumn is my child now, and I will see to it that she is but the first of many. The time has come for Cybertron to be renewed, and I will have to unite both factions. I will need to unite _all_ bots into a single _cohesive_ society, so they may have a common goal.

I looked down into the hopeful optics gazing at me desperately and smiled. "Of course I will Autumn. That is something you don't need to worry about. Now drink your energon, because I know you need it."

Autumn nodded her head and resumed drinking her cube while Mikaela snickered.

"Mikaela… quit laughing and drink your coffee. It's not quite sunup so you've got a long day ahead of you." I told her seriously.

"Yes _Mother_!" Mikaela replied sarcastically.

I chuckled as Autumn glanced rapidly between the two of us. "That's right... I _am_ a mother! I am the mother of the _entire_ Cybertronian race, so I won't have any qualms about assuming the position of _your_ mother as well. I have _millions_ of years of experience at it so you can bet that I know _exactly_ what I'm doing!" I said sternly.

"So does that mean I get to call you ' _mom_ ' now too?" Mikaela asked with a touch of mischievousness in her tone.

"I don't see why not." I answered candidly.

The expression on Mikaela's face was one of shock and disbelief… but there was also… just a hint of hope there as well, _if_ one looked closely.

"Seriously?" Mikaela whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, seriously." I told her bluntly. "I know that like Autumn, you are also bereft of your biological mother. I can't replace her, but I can certainly be there for you."

Mikaela's eyes became very moist with tears that she wasn't allowing to fall. I know that what I'd just told her had affected her a lot. I know this because I'd made sure to stay close to both Sam and Mikaela, so I'd heard her tell Sam a great many things… the loss of her mother was only one of them. That is how I know my offer means a lot to her. Somehow, she knows that I am not joking; her rapid pulse and ragged breathing tell me that. I watch her swallow the lump in her throat, before she nods and goes back to drinking her coffee.

"So if you're my Mami, and her Mami too, does that mean Mikaela's my sister now?" Autumn asked me.

I knew at once that she was being honest and sincere in her question, because I could feel the burst of hope in her spark. She'd been without a family who cared about her for so long, that the mere possibility of having someone who seemed to care as a member of her family was extremely important to her.

"Yes Autumn, it does. Besides, the two of you are close in age, and even similar in appearance… at least… you _were_ ; before I changed you into a bot that is. Before you even ask Mikaela, that was _not_ easily done! What I did to Autumn was _very_ dangerous, and could have killed her. I had to focus a _lot_ of effort into keeping her alive and safe." I said as I answered Autumn's question and the unspoken question on Mikaela's face before she could ask.

"I take it that _you_ were responsible for the force field in my medbay?" Ratchet demanded.

"Yes, I was. Even then I was watching over and protecting Autumn as much as I could." I replied.

"What about when Soundwave was rummaging around in her processors? Why didn't you stop that?" Ironhide asked grouchily.

"Actually, I did." I said calmly. "I simply made sure that Soundwave learned how young Autumn really is. That was all I needed to do."

I looked Ironhide in the optics firmly. "Once he understood just how young Autumn really is… he became a staunch protector for her. Now I know that you don't believe that to be the case, but all the evidence you need is right in front of you."

"And just what ' _evidence_ ' would that be?" Ironhide promptly demanded.

I placed my left hand almost on the table, but not actually touching it, so there would be no overt means of alerting Ravage that I had put my hand behind her. I sent a simple message to her spark, which I could easily manage, and she spun to jump into my waiting hand. I lifted the Cybercat so that there could be no mistaking my point.

"Ravage stays with Autumn to ensure that she remains safe and content. Soundwave is very serious about Autumn's protection… _almost_ as serious as I am." I stated in a soft but level tone to ensure that there could be no mistaking what I meant.

Autumn giggled at that. "I think Mami means it." She said quietly.

I looked down at her and smiled lightly. "Oh you _do_ , do you?"

Autumn nodded with wide optics. "I don't think you'd be here if you didn't." She said a bit nervously.

I placed Ravage back on the table and reached down to lift Autumn into a hug as a way to reassure the young femme. "You're absolutely _right_ Autumn! I wouldn't be here, but I _am_ here, and I'm not going anywhere."

When Autumn gave me a brilliant smile, I set her back in her seat to finish her energon, while I opened another cube of my own.

 **Mikaela POV**

She really means it. Somehow… I know she isn't joking in the slightest. All I have is my aunt and my dad, but then, that's all Autumn's had for a long time too. Her aunt never really gave a damn about her, and her dad… well, the world is better off without someone like him. Me? I know my dad loves me, and I'm sure my aunt cares too, but still, I sometimes feel like I'm missing something or some _one_. Kinetica just said that she would _be_ that someone in my life.

It's hard not to have a mother who loves you. I know my dad loves me, but he hasn't been able to be there for me when he's been in prison for so many years, and still has a few more years to serve. Kinetica though, she's right here and somehow, I don't think she's going anywhere anytime soon.

It took me a while to get myself under control. I wanted to cry, but for some reason I was also madder than hell. I wanted to yell, scream, and demand to know where she'd been all my life. I already knew the answer to that though. She'd been trapped under Hoover Dam, while being forced to make sparklings that Sector Seven could then kill. It really hurt to think about that. It hurt to think that this… _woman_ who had just adopted me so casually and claimed _me_ as her daughter was unable to do anything while her actual children were callously _murdered_ for the sake of experiments and demonstrations. But then I realized that there was something even worse than that. Now she was not only forced to deal with the people who done those things to her children, but she has to be _nice_ to them as well!

Still, she has every reason in the world to hate humans, but she made Autumn into her daughter, and now she's even claiming me. I'm not ready for this. Last night, I went to sleep trying to think of another way that I could help Autumn, and now I feel like I'm just as much of a wreck as she is. I didn't know... I just didn't know how much I really missed having a mother in my life until now.

I can't help it, I want to know, I _need_ to know how she'll react.

"So tell me Mom… what's next on the agenda?" I tried to sound casual as I said that, but I think my voice broke.

"What's next on the agenda, is that after you finish your coffee Young Lady, you'll eat some eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast because you need the protein." Kinetica told me firmly. "Don't try to argue with me about it, because I can be a _whole_ lot worse than Ratchet." She added with a small smile.

I couldn't help my sarcastic response. "What are you going to do? Tie me to a bed and force feed me?"

"Oh I won't have to go to those extremes. Judicious use of force fields will _make_ you eat it!" Kinetica told me with a cold smile.

I started to make a retort, but Ratchet started laughing pretty loud. I frowned at him because I really don't like being laughed at, but then, nobody does.

"What are you laughing at Ratchet? You'd better not be laughing at my daughter Mikaela, because if I even _sense_ you working today, I'll use a force field to immobilize you to a berth!" Kinetica said while glaring at the medic. "And yes, I can know what _every_ bot is doing in an instant just by _thinking_ about it!"

Both of the Terror Twins started snickering.

"You two can get _that_ thought out of your processors _right now_! If I _do_ have to pin Ratchet to a berth to keep him from working, then I'll _also_ carry out one of his threats and stick _both_ of you to the ceiling… _of the brig_!" Kinetica snapped.

"We never said a _word_!" Sunstreaker growled.

"You don't _have_ to! I'm the All Spark! I can sense every single thought that goes through those processors of yours. You won't get the chance to prank Ratchet when he can't do anything to stop you!" Kinetica said firmly with a glare at the Twins.

I started laughing hard. "I _totally_ called it!" I shouted before doubling over from laughing.

"What do you mean?" Prowl asked me with confusion written all over his face.

"She's gonna get _everybody's_ heart right and straighten out a _bunch_ of things around here!" I replied before laughing even harder.

 **Soundwave POV**

I walked into the rec room intending to retrieve a cube of energon for myself, along with fuel for my symbionts. I saw the group of mechs, Arcee and Mikaela sitting at one of the tables. There was a femme also sitting at that table that I had never met. A slight amount of concentration would allow me to detect even the thoughts of a human, but this unknown femme… she was _completely_ undetectable to me! I could sense nothing of her thoughts or emotions. I find this to be very disturbing because it should not be possible to thwart my abilities in such a way.

Taking a moment to observe carefully, I see that Autumn is sitting right next to this unknown femme with a very content expression. I make a slightly deeper probe of her thoughts and I know all that I need to.

I freeze as the knowledge hit me. To say that I am both stunned and astonished is a _drastic_ understatement! This femme _is_ the All Spark! Auto Autumn is convinced of it, and I have no doubts either! The size of the femme's frame alone is a clear indication that this is indeed the frame that Autobot Autumn was constructing while in apparent recharge. There is also the fact that I recognize it.

Autobot Autumn is both happy and content to be in the All Spark's presence. I am unable to find fault with that. This femme is not a vengeful entity as I would have supposed. Instead as the All Spark, this femme is care, compassion, mercy, and love personified. She is exactly what Autobot Autumn requires.

I recover from my motionless state and move to sit at the table across from Autobot Autumn. The young femme looks up at me when I sit down and an expression of sheer terror claims her features as she freezes entirely.

 **Autumn POV**

I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, I couldn't do anything but stare up at the bot that had haunted a lot of my nightmares. For some reason, I was even more scared of this bot than I'd _ever_ been of my father!

I was so scared that I wasn't even venting at all. I guess that's how I heard it. A menacing, rumbling growl that was more frightening than anything I'd ever heard before. It was coming from the table in front of me and I looked down to see Ravage standing in front of me with her missiles pointed straight at the bot from my nightmares. Then I heard Mami start to chuckle.

I was scared and confused at the same time. How could she _possibly_ find anything funny about this? I looked to my left to see her smiling at the bot.

"Well Soundwave… I think you just lost one of your symbionts, because it seems as if Ravage likes Autumn more than she likes you!" Mami said still chuckling.

"Negative. Unit Ravage performing designated task of protecting Autobot Autumn from all perceived threats. Autobot Autumn, terrified by presence of Soundwave, Unit Ravage, responding appropriately." The purple bot said in a voice that had no feelings in it at all, and that scared me even more.

 **Optimus POV**

What I saw as I looked down the table was quite surprising to me. There were only two bots present who did _not_ seem to be surprised by the confrontation taking place! Those two are Kinetica, and Soundwave. I have to admit to being shocked. Ravage appears to be a mere instant away from attacking _Soundwave_ in defense of Autumn! Why this is so, is baffling to me.

One thing that is _very_ disturbing about this situation is that Ravage doesn't appear to be bluffing in the least. That rumbling growl of hers is slowly getting louder and she is crouched in a position that will allow her to spring into action in an instant. She is _more_ that ready and _willing_ to attack her Carrier!

All around the table, almost everyone here is gaping at the scene in front of them. Arcee is stunned with her mouth hanging open, the Twins are gaping and glaring at Soundwave at the same time, Ironhide is gaping in frozen shock, and Prowl is also gaping and twitching at the same time. I think he is about to glitch. Suddenly, Jazz starts laughing quite loudly.

"Ya know Autumn, Ah don' think ya been introduced ta Soundwave yet, so lemme tell ya, he's da one dat owns Ravage."

Autumn turned to gape at Jazz in disbelief while pointing at Soundwave. " _He_ owns Ravage?"

"Yes Autumn, he does. Soundwave has told Ravage to protect you from _anything_ you might be scared of. Since you are scared of him, Ravage is going to make sure that you have nothing to worry about. If she has to attack Soundwave, she will do exactly that. It's exactly what Soundwave told her to do." Kinetica said as she answered Autumn's question.

Autumn turned in her seat to look at Kinetica with confusion on her face. "Why?"

Kinetica leaned closer and placed her hand on Autumn's opposite shoulder in a one armed hug. "Soundwave told Ravage to protect you because he wants you safe. He wants you to be safe, and he wants you to _feel_ safe! If Ravage has to threaten him for that to happen, then that is what will occur. No one here is going to hurt you Autumn. Everyone here… and I do mean _everyone_ , intends to make sure that you do not get hurt."

"Why?" Autumn asked softly.

"Personification of All Spark correct. Ensured safety of Autobot Autumn necessary. Existence of Autobot Autumn, indication of potential future for Cybertron." Soundwave stated bluntly.

"You see Autumn? You are just the beginning of a bright new future." Kinetica said to Autumn with a smile as she reached out and pulled Ravage back in front of Autumn to the cube of energon waiting for her.

At that moment, an incredible amount of weight seemed to lift from my shoulders and spark. I wasn't exactly sure why that was, until I realized something. The All Spark was no longer lost to us! Where before, only sparklings would be created by giving life to a frame, now advice and wisdom could be obtained as well. It means that there _is_ a future for Cybertron! While life may now continue for us, I can only hope that somehow this war will cease.

 **:This is Optimus Prime to all bots in range. The All Spark has not been destroyed as we thought. The All Spark now resides in the frame of the femme with the designation of Kinetica. With the All Spark no longer lost to us,** _ **all**_ **efforts must now focus on ending this war. If peace is possible, we must find the means to achieve it. Cybertron is not as dead as had previously been thought. Our world** _ **can**_ **be rebuilt, but that can never happen as long as we are at war.:** I sent on an unencrypted frequency.

 **:With Megatron dead, you may address me as** _ **Lord**_ **Starscream! What exactly do you propose by way of peace Optimus Prime? We will meet in one Terrestrial week to discuss the possibilities.:**


	52. Chapter 52

**Chromia POV**

I went stiff in surprise. The message I'd just heard from Starscream indicated that he was willing to discuss a possible cessation to this war. There had been countless bots killed in this war. Mechs, femmes, and even sparklings had been brutally slaughtered and for what? I'm not sure. Actually… I really _don't_ have a clue. I've heard a lot of theories about everything from ambition to greed and lust for personal power, but I can't say if any of them are true.

Because of the time, I knew that Autumn would be getting some energon soon. A brief comm signal to both Elita and Arcee let me know that Autumn was already in the rec room with several others, and that she had already consumed a cube of energon.

I stepped out of my quarters and ran into Elita as she came out of hers. Neither of us needed to say anything as we both headed for the rec room. We were about halfway there when Wheeljack came out of his lab.

Wheeljack had an empty energon cube that was now full of mineral wafers… at least I _think_ that's what they are. They have a _very_ strange color to them.

" _Hey_ Chromia!" Wheeljack called out brightly. "I used a new recipe to make these mineral wafers for the sparkling. You said she doesn't like the energon treats, so I made this batch with three times the normal amount of minerals, and I also added a lot of the elements a sparkling needs, so I guess you could call these 'Sparkling Wafers'."

"You made those specially for Autumn?" Elita asked in surprise.

"Yes. I know I've only encountered her once, but she was very nice, and she didn't act like I was going to explode at any instant either." Wheeljack answered amiably. "That's part of why I made these for her. I hope she likes them."

"Well we're heading to the rec room since that's where she is. You don't seem to have any of your experiments with you, so you're welcome to join us." Elita replied.

"Oh that would be great! Then I can find out if Autumn actually likes these; I hope she does." Wheeljack said eagerly.

"I hope she does too Wheeljack." I told him.

We had kept walking towards the rec room while we talked, and as I walked in I saw Autumn sitting next to a _very_ large femme that I didn't know. One look at her face plates and I froze. Elita did the same thing right beside me. I could easily recognize the torso and head that Autumn had constructed while in apparent recharge, and I'm pretty sure that Elita did too. Then I saw who was sitting across from Autumn… it was Soundwave.

I'll admit that I don't really trust Soundwave because he was a high ranking Officer among the Decepticons, but to see him that close to Autumn doesn't give me a pleasant feeling. It makes me want to use a plasma cannon on him. Then there's the frame Autumn built. She's sitting right next to it, and I'm guessing that this is the femme called Kinetica.

It isn't until I took a good look at the strange femme that I realized something. That femme had the exact same face that Autumn had constructed out of sand on the beach. It was the same face that Autumn believed had belonged to her human Carrier!

From what had been said, I knew that Autumn placed a high value on the few memories she had of her human Carrier. So why would she construct a frame so that her Carrier's face could be used by someone else? It's a question that needs an answer, and the only way to get that answer is by asking Autumn.

I move to the energon dispenser and obtain a cube before sitting down next to Soundwave so that I'm across from Autumn. She has a light, contented smile on her face as she sips on a cube of energon that includes the minerals her frame needs. To see Autumn smile is a fairly rare thing, but it's something I've seen before. I will admit that those occasions are very rare, but it has happened. To see her doorwings in such a relaxed state is something I have _never_ seen though! Concern for her fills my spark.

"Autumn… are you okay?" I ask her seriously.

Autumn's smile gets very large and her entire face almost lights up as her optics glow brighter and she nods happily.

"Mami is here now! I have Mami, Ravage, and now Mikaela is even my sister! So I have a whole family now." Autumn exclaimed happily.

"That's right Autumn… you _do_ have a new family now. But you also have some good friends too, and you can't forget about them." Kinetica said cheerfully.

"Friends? What friends do I have?" Autumn asked in apparent confusion.

"There isn't a bot who has met you that doesn't like you Autumn. Even those bots that you have barely interacted with, the ones who hardly know you, want to get to know you better. The femmes you've met like you very much Autumn, and they consider you to be a valuable friend. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe even like being around you. You can ask anyone here… those two don't seem to like _anyone_! They do like _you_ though, so that says a lot about you, now doesn't it?" Kinetica said softly.

Kinetica had spoken before my spark could even fall at those words from Autumn. I'd been told that she thought of herself as expendable, but I'd had no idea that her ideas of self worth are _that_ low. That fact that Kinetica is forcing Autumn to reevaluate things so quickly is a great relief to me. It's something that shows me that Kinetica will _not_ allow Autumn to retain such a low self-esteem.

Wheeljack sits down next to me and opens the cube of energon in front of him.

"Autumn? Can you try one of these and tell me if you like them? Chromia said you don't care for the energon treats, but she said you like the mineral wafers a lot. So I made a new batch of them and used a lot more minerals than normal. I also added a lot of the minerals that you need for proper frame development." Wheeljack said as he slid the container of wafers over to her.

Autumn frowned as she got one and looked at it dubiously before taking a tentative bite. Her eyes shot wide and her doorwings rose in surprise before she quickly shoved the rest of the wafer in her mouth.

"Those are _great_! They taste like banana pudding with coconut and a bunch of other stuff in it. I don't really know what it tastes like, but it's _good_!" Autumn exclaimed happily.

"Oh I'm so glad you like these!" Wheeljack replied as he indicated the container in front of her. "I made them for you, but you can share them if you want." He added as the fins on the sides of his head lit up in bright blue.

 **Elita POV**

I sat down on Soundwave's right so that I was just across the table from Autumn. Ravage was on the table in front of her and was slowly lapping at a cube of energon. Mikaela was sitting on Autumn's right shoulder with a steaming cup of what had to be coffee if I were to judge by the smell. To Autumn's right was the _very_ large femme with the designation of Kinetica. It's clear that this femme is keeping a close watch on Autumn because every time she looks up, Kinetica is looking back and smiling at her. I see that she smiles at Mikaela quite often as well. I'd heard what Autumn told Chromia about Mikaela being her sister. I can't help but feel that this will be good for Autumn. She will be able to be around those that _she_ feels care about her. Curiosity compelled me to begin asking her some questions.

"It would seem that you intend to care for Autumn now… is that correct?" I demanded intensely.

"Absolutely! I suspect that a recording of Sterben's ' _confession'_ has been circulated around this base. I will agree that the confession was _horrible_!" Kinetica told me bluntly.

"The truth of the matter though… is that the 'so called' _confession_ actually told _very_ little about the nightmare that Autumn was forced to endure! I know every detail including those that Autumn was too young to remember, or those that have been thankfully lost to her by the fog of the past. While I intend to return every possible memory she has of her human mother, I will _not_ allow her to dwell on the painful things she still recalls." Kinetica continued in a firm and serious tone.

"Are you _really_ an incarnation of the Allspark?" I asked her.

I know what I _want_ the answer to be, but somehow… I just don't believe that it's possible. I'm not sure _how_ Autumn was able to get this frame functioning, but for her to be the _Allspark_? There was just _far_ too much raw power contained in that cube! The power to give life to a sparkless frame, the power to _restore_ life to a sparkless frame, and even the power to _create_ a frame and bring it to life out of a simple machine… _that_ is what the Allspark had! There is just no way that this frame in front of me can hold that same power. It simply isn't _possible_!

"Elita One… daughter of Silverstar and Bright Rim… I really _am_ a new form of that which you knew as the Allspark. Granted, this frame, as large as it is, can not _begin_ to hold the power I once had. I can no longer generate a dozen sparks at once. Giving life to a pre-built frame is something I will now have to do one spark at a time. I will also be forced to rely on energon the same as you." Kinetica answered me plainly.

I could feel my spark freeze in the chest of my frame. Not even _Optimus_ knew the names of my Creators! I had never told _anyone_ who they were, and yet this strange bot knew them, knew their names.

"The form I used to have was destroyed. That destruction consumed a _vast_ amount of my power, and converting Autumn from human into a bot consumed still more. Yet I survived. The only reason I was able to survive… is because most of my physical form was in subspace. My knowledge, my memories, and who I am… _all_ of that was nearly lost! A small fraction of me was left. That piece was small enough that Mikaela would be able to wear it as a piece of jewelry. Through that tiny sliver, I was able to sense some of my surroundings. Neither Sam or Mikaela had any need to become a bot, and changing one of them would have taken more from them than I could ever return. When they were brought here, and I sensed Autumn's presence, I knew then, that I could give her what she _truly_ wants, and _needs_! To do that, I needed to change her, and I did. In return, she has provided me with a place to _safely_ reside while some of my power returned. After that, I was able to construct a basic frame to hold my being, which would still allow me to create life." Kinetica told me honestly.

I could tell that she meant every word and it all made sense to me. Her powerful body was destroyed, so now she has to make do with a frame that isn't capable of containing anything close to that amount of power. I can only hope that one day, she'll recover enough that she can regain her abilities. Somehow, I don't think she intends to relinquish the mobility that this weaker frame grants her. I'm not sure I can find any fault with her for that.

"I know the question that you _really_ want to ask. You want to know if I will begin to create new life as I used to do, and if so, what will become of Autumn. The answer to that is that Autumn is going to be the first of many. I will create hordes of new sparklings. Those sparklings will go to loving bots who will care for them and raise them. No more will a sparkling only go to those who consider themselves to be _privileged_ , sparklings will be available to all. There will be one exception to that however… Autumn will stay with _me_!" Kinetica told me with a light smile.

"Mami can make all the sparklings she wants, but I don't have to worry about that anymore." Autumn agreed.

"Actually Autumn, that is no longer true." Kinetica told Autumn seriously.

Autumn looked up at the femme with complete confusion on her face. "But… but Ratchet said that I… that… that they…"

"Autumn, I want you to listen to me." Kinetica said as she turned and placed her hands on each side of Autumn's head so that the femmeling was forced to look at her.

"There is nothing _physically_ wrong with you anymore! I fixed _all_ of the damage that was done to you when I changed you into the sweet young femme that you are. Should you and Bluestreak decide to create a sparkling when you are ready, then you have that ability. I made certain of that, Little One."

Autumn's face lit up into a brilliant smile as she looked up at the femme holding her. "You really fixed me? I… I'm not broken anymore?"

"I don't think Mom's going to let you stay broken Autumn. She already fixed your body, so the only thing left to work on now is your spirit and mind. I don't think she'll let that slide either." Mikaela said with a rueful smile, but a tone that wasn't the least apologetic.

"That is absolutely true Mikaela! I do _not_ plan to leave my sweet little Autumn in a heart broken state. She has a spark rather than a heart now, but both of you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Kinetica replied easily.

Autumn had a look of shocked disbelief on her face as she turned to look at Mikaela who was perched on her right shoulder. "You really mean that, don't you? She'll make me better… won't she?"

"Autumn… if she wasn't serious about this, do you _really_ think she would be claiming me as her daughter? I mean, she can't have known me for very long, but that didn't make any difference now did it? I don't think she's going to let anything slide anymore." Mikaela said with a smirk.

 **Autumn POV**

Mikaela turned back to her coffee and I focused on the energon in front of me. It was really weird to think of Mikaela as my sister now. She had always been the most beautiful girl in school with lots of friends and people who liked her. Now, here she was, better looking than a lot of movie stars I'd heard about and _willing_ to say she's my sister!

"I can't believe I've got a Mami and a sister now." I muttered to myself.

It all seemed so unreal. One cycle it feels like everything is crashing down on me, and the next, I've got Mami here to make sure that doesn't happen to me. I'd seen Mikaela around school many times. So I knew that she didn't always do what everyone expected her to do just because she was in the popular crowd. There was a lot of times that she did what she wanted no matter what everyone else said about her. She just doesn't care what people say or think about her, and sometimes that gets her in trouble, but she still does it. I know I used to be sort of like that, but I'm not anymore, and I don't know why.

"Yeah… you've got a sister now. You might be bigger than I am, but I'm still older than you are, so that means you have to listen to what I say." Mikaela told me with a smug grin.

"That's very true Autumn. As long as she's with you, you should listen to her advice. An older sister will look out for her younger sibling, and Mikaela has already proven that she has your best interests at heart. So I want you to listen to what she tells you. However…" Mami told me smiling.

" _She_ will have to listen to _me_ , and so will you!" Mami added seriously.

"Sparklings are always supposed to listen to their Creators." I said quietly.

"Yeah, and somehow… I think Mom is going to know everything we get up to and all the trouble we get in." Mikaela whispered in a mischievous tone.

"That's entirely true Mikaela. I am able to know _everything_ that goes on around Autumn just by thinking about it! That means that as long as you two are hanging out with each other, I will know _everything_ you two are doing!" Mami said while smiling.

"I'm not going to resort to spanking you with a belt Mikaela, and I won't be placing Autumn in the brig. Putting her back in the brig would result in a nearly vegetative state of mind for her, and that will not be tolerated. By the same token, corporal punishment isn't practical for use on either of you because of your age and level of maturity. _But_ … Mikaela… you can _still_ be grounded!" Mami added firmly.

"Am I to understand that Autumn has a severe psychological aversion to the brig?" Prowl asked Mami.

"Yes Prowl, she does. That one stay in the brig did almost as much psychological damage to Autumn as her entire time with her father did to her body. You didn't know what placing her in the brig would do to her mentally, but I can't allow that to happen again." Mami answered.

I looked over at Prowl to see him shutter his optics while his doorwings drooped. He opened his optic shutters and looked over at me with a sad expression on his faceplates.

"I must apologize Autumn. I was unaware that such confinement would be so detrimentally devastating to you. Allowing myself to become absorbed in my work so that I forgot about you was also unwarranted." Prowl told me with a sad look. "It will not occur again."

"Prowl… no one is blaming you!" Mami said seriously. "You did what you thought was right at the time. You followed procedure and acted according to the rules. You could not have known that Autumn is terrified of being in the brig."

"Everyone needs to drink up. It's going to be an interesting day today." Mami said with a smile.


	53. Chapter 53

**Mikaela POV**

I was sitting comfortably on Autumn's right shoulder, a nice place to sit if you ask me. It's almost like Mom _knew_ that I'd be sitting here! There's a place for me to hold on that doesn't interfere with Autumn's head movements or her arm at all, and there's a nice smooth perch so I'm not sitting on a cable or anything like that.

Across the table from us, Soundwave has two big mechanical eagle looking bots on the table with a cube of energon for each of them. He said their names are Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. I'd have expected Ravage to try and kill at least one of them, but nothing's happening like that. Their all sisters from what Soundwave said when I asked him about it.

Everyone except me is drinking a cube of energon and enjoying it I guess… at least they _seem_ to be. That's fine with me, I've got my coffee and I am a _very_ happy woman! I don't know what everyone plans to do today, but I'm out of school for the summer, so I can stay and help make sure Autumn gets the help she needs. I can see already that Mom is going to be a big part of that.

 _God_ that feels so weird! One day I'm waiting for my dad to get out of prison so I'd have my family back, and the next, I have a Mom who's not joking when she says she cares about me. That's the hardest part to take in… that she really _does_ care! She even _proved_ it me! I mean, yeah, I kind of had my doubts about this, but then… I _felt_ it! Somehow… I _felt_ the love from her and heard her speak to me in my mind. It was _incredible_! She told me that she used Soundwave's telepathic ability to speak to me and send me her feelings without him knowing about it. I had no idea that she could reach my mind like that, but she did. She did it because she actually cares.

I looked up when Bumblebee walked in with a bleary eyed Sam on his right shoulder. I have to say one thing right now, unless it's an emergency, Sam is _not_ a morning person!

"Morning Kaela." Sam greeted me still half asleep.

"Good morning Sam. You'll _never_ guess what I got this morning." I told him cheerfully.

"A hot car!" I said with a smug grin. "You have a Camaro, and guy's are supposed to have a good muscle car, but _I_ get to ride around in a sleek and sexy _Ferrari_!"

 _That_ got his attention and woke him right up!

"How'd you get a _Ferrari_?" Sam demanded in shock. _"Where'd_ you get a Ferrari?"

"Autumn!" I sang with a very happy and smug tone. "She and I are going to be hanging out together this summer. I'm _hoping_ I can take her back to the states with me when we leave." I added still smiling.

"Makes sense… a hot girl is supposed to have a hot ride."

" _Exactly_!" I replied I replied with a vicious grin. "Thanks to Autumn, I have one of the _hottest_ rides on the _planet_!"

"You… you're joking… _right_?" Autumn asked me nervously.

"No Autumn… I'm not joking at all. You're a hot girl who changes into a _really_ hot car!" I told her seriously. "If you don't believe me, then ask one of them." I added while pointing to the rest of the bots at the table.

Autumn turned her head, but she was slow and hesitant about it. I could tell that she was scared and nervous, but I knew that she has no reason to be. Even if someone _was_ willing to do something to her, there were a _lot_ here who would defend Autumn, and I was sure that Ravage would only be _one_ of them!

"I don't know why you would think that Mikaela's wrong about this Autumn, because she's not lying to you. Since she's your older sister now, that means she'll try to look out for you, because that's what older siblings do." Bluestreak told me.

"It doesn't matter which one of us was sparked first, we look out for each other because that's what brothers do. It doesn't matter how bad I'm outnumbered because my brother is going to be right there." Sideswipe said with a smirk.

"That goes both ways! I know he'll be right there whenever I'm in trouble. My Bro has my back and I have his! That's how it's always been with us, and that's how it will always be. Listen to your sister, she's not lying to you." Sunstreaker told her with a glare.

"Autumn's your _sister_?" Sam demanded. "When did you find out and why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Mikaela and Autumn became sisters a few minutes ago when I declared that I was going to be the mother of _both_ of them! Autumn has needed her mother for a long time now, and even though she didn't really know it, so has Mikaela. I have no qualms with fulfilling that role. There is one more thing you need to know Samuel James Witwicky… you did _not_ destroy me when you killed Megatron. I simply took another form, and used that form to convert Autumn into a bot. She _is_ my daughter, because I _am_ the All Spark… so you can stop feeling guilty about what you did. You made the right decision and no one here will fault you for that. Yes, I suffered because of that decision, but I am fine now. Thanks to your actions that day, I can finally try to end this senseless war." Kinetica said frankly.

I have to give him credit where it's due… because Sam looked like he was about to be sick. I knew that he'd had nightmares about destroying the only thing that could restore life to an entire world, but to learn that he'd also injured an innocent being in the process might be pushing him too far.

"Relax Sam. I have recovered so you don't need to harbor any more regrets." Kinetica said kindly.

"And just how do I know that you're who you say?" Sam asked with a doubtful frown.

I could understand his doubts. Destroying the one thing that could save an entire world had really done a number on him. The nightmares would make him wake up drenched in sweat and breathing like he'd just run a marathon.

"I'm not sure that I would be able to do anything which can _prove_ my former identity… but I can tell you that you would have been quite scared when leaving Hoover Dam while I was strapped in the back seat. Had you not had Bumblebee and Mikaela with you, I believe that you would have been terrified. You had seen for yourself that Mikaela knew how to handle herself in dangerous situations, and you also knew that Bumblebee would protect you. That is why you were able to master your fears. Then when you saw Optimus and the others coming towards you, I sensed nothing but relief from you. When you ran from Megatron, you were determined. Yes, you feared for your life, but you were also very determined to keep me away from him. It was only in that final moment of their fight, when Optimus instructed you to place me in his chest, that you decided to do it to Megatron instead. There were two pieces of my body left. Optimus recovered one from Megatron's body. I caused the other to drop into the hood of your sweatshirt. At first, I considered changing either you or Mikaela, but once I learned more about the two of you, I realized what a mistake that would be. Then you came here, and I heard you talk with Autumn. That was when I knew that I could actually help her. I dropped from your sweatshirt to land on the floor where Autumn found me after you two had left. I caused her hand to absorb what little was left of me, so that I could begin to change her. It wasn't at all easy, and at times it was _extremely_ painful for her even though I shielded her from as much of the pain as I could. I also protected her when I needed to. A couple of times it was from a fall that would have injured her badly." Kinetica explained.

"Mami even made force fields for me!" Autumn said happily.

"Yes, I did. I didn't want you breaking a leg or anything because you _certainly_ didn't need that in addition to everything else that was going on." Kinetica told Autumn firmly.

"You… you _really_ aren't going to hold a grudge against me for what I did… are you?" Sam asked quietly.

"No Sam, I'm not. Because of your actions that day, I am now able to help Autumn, I can bring about a few changes that I think should be made to the way Cybertron is governed, and I can also see about putting an end to this war once and for all. I can't blame or fault you at all for what you did, because you did what _needed_ to be done! Honestly, I'm glad that you had _not_ been informed of the true gravity of what you'd been asked to do, because I seriously doubt that you could have gone through with it. Soundwave _might_ have been able to force himself to do what you did, but I truly doubt it. There isn't a bot alive who wouldn't have hesitated because of the repercussions. _You_ didn't! For that… you have my thanks." Kinetica said in a kind but serious tone.

"Mami means it Sam. She isn't mad at you at all. I haven't seen her mad yet, and I don't think I want to either." Autumn interjected quickly.

"Somethin tell meh ya ain't gotta worry bout dat Lil Lady. Ah think she'll be watchin out for ya." Jazz told Autumn.

"You're right Jazz, Autumn _won't_ have to worry about my temper. She will _never_ face my wrath! Autumn has been exposed to anger far more often than I like to consider, so I will make absolutely _certain_ that I never direct my anger towards her. I will also make sure that I am never cold to her. Her father was cold and emotionless on the _good_ days when Autumn was only beaten physically. I am now here and I will ensure that Autumn never suffers through that again." Kinetica explained.

"Ah believe ya, but Ah think ya might wanna watch out fo Autumn's temper too." Jazz said evenly.

Kinetica started laughing. "Autumn's temper is _nothing_ compared to mine! Yes, I know exactly what you faced the other day, but you need to keep one thing in mind. Autumn isn't trained in combat, and her frame is very fragile. The same isn't true of me. I am able to use this frame to my full advantage, and I can get twice as angry as Autumn was when you restrained her."

"Aww _slag_!" Ratchet complained loudly.

"Mami isn't the kind to get slagged off like that." Autumn stated seriously.

"Autumn, she is 'Mom', so your argument is invalid." I told her with a smirk.

Almost everyone present started laughing at that one. I couldn't blame them, because that was a _good_ one!

"Your sister has an excellent point Autumn. I can get _very_ mad when the situation calls for it, so you'll probably see me get irate more often than you'd like." Kinetica said lightly.

"I want you to know something Autumn, and this is a solemn promise from me… I will _never_ take my anger out on you. I might eventually become angry at you Autumn, but I _promise_ you that I will _never_ , _ever_ allow you to bear the brunt of that anger! I know that you'll listen to me most of the time when I tell you something. For the most part, that is the only thing I'll need to do is reason with you. If it were up to me, and I could choose how you are to be _effectively_ corrected, then I would _happily_ choose reason and logic. There may be times when that approach won't work, but I still won't yell at you… and no matter what happens, no matter how mad I get, I will never hit you, and I won't say the kinds of things your father did either. You'll _never_ have any cause or reason to fear that type of behavior from me. Do I make myself clear?" Kinetica said earnestly.

"You… you _promise_ you'll never hit me? No matter how mad you get at me?" Autumn asked in a whisper.

I could tell she was scared and _really_ hoping that she was hearing the truth at the same time. After the crap I saw on TV, I knew that she had more than enough reason to doubt hearing something like that. As scared as she was though, she _really_ wanted it to be true, she _needed_ it to be true. Somehow, I knew that it was.

I don't know… I mean Kinetica told me that she would be my mother just a short while ago, but for some weird reason I can _feel_ that she actually loves me and Autumn both! Don't ask me how I can feel it, because I don't know, I just know that I can. I know that Autumn needs that love right now. She needs to feel like someone cares about her, and I can say with absolute certainty that Mom _does_ love her!

Kinetica reached up and put a hand on Autumn's left shoulder while she picked me up with her right hand. Suddenly, it felt like my heart clenched in my chest right before Autumn lunged forward to hug Kinetica tightly. Her whole body was shaking and I saw tears in those eyes of hers before she closed them. It was a few minutes before Autumn pulled away and Kinetica put me right back on Autumn's right shoulder. It was like she _knew_ what Autumn was going to do and made sure that I wouldn't get hurt when it happened.

 **Autumn POV**

When I asked Mami that question, I wasn't sure what the answer would be. I know what I _wanted_ it to be though. I wanted to hear her promise me. Instead she put her servo on my shoulder and looked me in the optics.

A powerful sense of peace, love, safety, comfort, and honesty filled my spark as she looked at me. That was when I felt it. _**[I will happily make that promise to you Autumn. I will never treat you the way your father did, and I will ensure that no one else ever does as well. You don't have to worry anymore because I am here for you.]**_

Bluestreak had already told me that it was impossible to lie when communicating through a sparkbond, so I _knew_ that Mami was telling me the truth when she said that. It means so much to me that I don't have to be scared anymore. Mami knows what I was and what I am… but she doesn't _care_! I don't have to struggle so hard to be worth something anymore because it doesn't matter what I am, Mami still loves me.

Sam brought a tray with a plate of food over for Mikaela. Since she was sitting on my right shoulder, I passed it to her.

"I _can_ sit down at a table you know?" Mikaela asked me in a sarcastic voice.

"That ankle of yours is still messed up, and I am _not_ going to let you put any weight on it until Ratchet or Mami says it's okay! I've only had you for a friend for a few days… but now you're my sister, and that means I have to look out for my little sister." I told her while starting to get mad.

I know that as a human, I never really had any friends, except maybe her and Sam… well they were the only _human_ friends I ever had. Mikaela's my sister now. That means I need to watch out for her. I _have_ to! If I don't then she might get hurt or killed, and then I won't have a sister anymore… I can't let that happen.

"Autumn… _relax_. Mikaela has no intentions of causing further injuries to herself. She won't do anything stupid enough to get killed while on base, so you don't need to worry so much. Besides, there are plenty of bots here that will also be looking out for her. So just calm down, and drink your energon." Mami told me.

That was when Mikaela started laughing. "I'm older than you, but you're bigger than me. I guess that means we have to look out for each other… doesn't it?"

I thought about that for a moment before I nodded my helm. I'm not stupid, so I know something is wrong with my… _processors_ , but she doesn't have that problem. On the other servo, I'm bigger and stronger than she is, so I can keep her from getting hurt. She can be the brains, and I can be the muscle of our little team.


	54. Chapter 54

**Mikaela POV**

I was sitting on Autumn's shoulder in the medbay watching Mom work on one of her legs. She actually took it _completely_ off so she can work on it! It was weird to watch something like that. To see someone take off part of their body so they can work on it? Yeah, _that's_ weird!

Autumn was sitting on a berth, with Ravage in her lap watching Mom work on her leg with a grin on her face. Somehow, I think that Autumn is actually doing better now that Kinetica is here. Don't ask me why, but just having the familiar face of someone she can look up to is helping her. Maybe it's because she doesn't feel so alone anymore. I don't know, but it's nice to see a smile on her face for a change.

Mom stopped working for a second, turned around and smiled at Autumn.

"See? I told you not to worry. This doesn't hurt at all, and I'm just making a few modifications to it." Mom said lightly.

"I'm guessing that you had _planned_ to make those modifications before inhabiting that frame." Ratchet said with a frown. "The problem is, you were forced into acting before you were ready."

I looked over at Ratchet, only to see Autumn with a stricken look on her face out of the corner of my eye. That's when Mom, _somehow_ moved over to the berth we were on and grabbed Autumn's head in both hands.

"Autumn, I might have needed to be here a little sooner than I planned, but I have no reason to be upset over that. My being here sooner instead of later, just means that I can _see_ you and _talk_ to you right now! _You_ are the reason I am here Autumn… don't you ever think that I regret being here, because I don't! I am here because of you and for you Autumn. So I had to cut a few corners and skip a few things… that's just fine because I can actually tend to those things better from a frame of my own than I could by using yours during your recharge." Mom told her seriously.

Autumn had a panicked look on her face when Mom started talking to her, but that slowly faded into a smile.

Mom smiled at Autumn, patted her on the head like a puppy, before standing up and scowling at Ratchet.

"Just because I am not allowing _you_ to work Ratchet, does _not_ mean that I will tolerate any of your attempts to disrupt _my_ work… _especially_ when I am working on my own frame!" Mom said angrily.

"Uh… Ratchet?" Autumn asked softly. "I think Mami means it!"

"That's because I do Autumn, so let me handle this, okay?" Kinetica said without taking her eyes off Ratchet.

Autumn nodded her head with a serious expression on her face. "Okay Mami."

 **Optimus POV**

I watched with interest as Kinetica removed and modified first one leg, and then the other. The entire time, Ratchet merely observed. This was unusual for the medic because at any other time, he would be insisting on performing the procedure himself. That's not to say he wasn't complaining about it, because he most _certainly_ was!

There is no _reasonable_ way that I can dispute her being the Allspark. She emanates that unique type of radiation signature so strongly that there is no denying her claim. If someone were to try and reason things out, they would also come up with that answer.

"Since Starscream will be here in a week to discuss the terms for peace, we should at least agree on what is wanted against what would be acceptable… don't you think Optimus?" Kinetica asked me.

I was actually somewhat surprised at the question even though it weighed heavily on my processors.

"What terms do you think will be needed?" I asked her, since I honestly had no idea.

"A new method of government will certainly be required, with new rights established, while others are equalized. A lot of things will need to be completely done away with so that they can be totally restructured. Other aspects of Cybertronian life will have to be abolished entirely." Kinetica said casually.

That last _really_ caught my attention.

"And just what is it that _you_ believe needs to be abolished?" I demanded.

"The Arenas for one thing. Another would be the regulations regarding the distribution of sparklings." Kinetica answered seriously as she turned to look at me.

The complete abolition of the gladiatorial arenas was something I could readily agree with, and I knew of others who would also agree.

"Why do you think anything needs to be done about the way sparklings are distributed?" I asked her.

"Because those who called themselves 'Tower Bots' never even _tried_ to reproduce on their own! The femmes and other bots capable of carrying a sparkling were apparently too _good_ to _demean_ themselves in such a _common_ fashion! _That_ is going to cease! From now on, before a pair of bots is able to receive one of _my_ creations, they will need to have tried to create on their own! I will know if they have or not. Those who haven't attempted to create a sparkling will not receive one from me. I am no longer able to create an unlimited number of sparklings in a single day, so I will have to make restrictions. I am not going to be able to repopulate Cybertron on my own; I will need help from those bots who are able to do so." Kinetica stated angrily as she reattached her second leg.

"Mami is _not_ a sparkling factory!" Autumn yelled angrily as she glared at me.

I was immediately concerned when I noticed that Ravage was trying to get out of Autumn's lap. I have no idea how to restrain her while preventing Autumn from injuring me or herself, because I don't want either result.

"Autumn… don't you _dare_ get up from that berth! Mikaela's on your shoulder and she'd better _not_ get hurt!" Kinetica said sternly.

I must admit that I am surprised that Autumn listened, and more so that she obeyed those instructions. The first thing Autumn did was glare at me before turning her head to look at Mikaela. I am very surprised by that because I know that Autumn is frightened of me, however, it seems that when someone she cares about is threatened with harm, Autumn will stand firmly in their defense without any hesitation.

I suddenly realized just how beneficial this could be. If Kinetica is indeed the Allspark, then she will need a staunch defender, and Autumn could be just such a bot. There is a _lot_ of potential in her!

"I… I'm sorry." Autumn said softly to Mikaela.

"Well, you didn't jump up and try to whale on him so I'm okay." Mikaela replied with a wry grin. "I don't think Ravage is very happy with you right now though."

Autumn pulled the Cybercat to her chest and lowered her head to nuzzle it. I could hear fervent apologies being whispered.

I looked back over at Kinetica to see a very serious expression on her face as she watched Autumn for a moment before she nodded and looked at me.

"I would actually agree with you on both of those issues… however… the issue of what changes need to be made to our form of government will have to wait until Starscream arrives so we can see what he has to say." I told her.

"That's reasonable enough. You should know that I will also try to unite the two factions if I can." Kinetica replied candidly.

"How do you plan to do _that_?" Ratchet asked.

"I haven't decided yet, but whatever method I use will be one that does _not_ interfere with the current leadership of Optimus Prime." Kinetica responded seriously.

"I'm not going to let you be a sparkling factory!" Autumn said sullenly.

Kinetica smiled as she stepped over to Autumn and took her face in both hands.

"That isn't going to happen. Not to me… not to you, nor to _any_ femme, or bot _ever_! I won't allow it. I can, and _will_ keep that from happening, Lebe Autumn!"

I am very surprised by how much Autumn's face lights up. The smile she displays practically illuminates the entire room, I don't need to have Prowl's battle computer to see that either. Whatever else might be said about her, it is clear that Autumn not only adores her, but seems quite happy in her presence.

 **Prowl POV**

As I enter the medbay I hear the femme tell Autumn that she will not allow a particular circumstance to occur. While I didn't enter soon enough to discover what that circumstance is, I am able to hear Kinetica use the German word for 'Dear' when she refers to Autumn by her designation. It is at once apparent that Autumn is immensely pleased by the use of that term.

The femme known as Kinetica has claimed that she is or rather _was_ the Allspark. I find that I am unable to form any type of valid argument against her otherwise outrageous claim. There are actually several indications that Kinetica is stating a fact. For one thing, Autumn is a former human. Her transition from an organic cellular structure to a metallic physiology would require an incalculable amount of energy. Only the Allspark or a similar entity would have possessed such a vast amount of power. Another aspect to consider is the frame that is occupied by Kinetica. I can see through simple observation that it is constructed using the same torso that Autumn was building from raw materials during a supposed recharge. Because of the unique spark chamber assembly, it is immediately obvious that it is intended to encompass a _vast_ amount of power. To my knowledge, not even Metroplex or Trypticon possesses a spark which contains such available power. Yet another aspect of the situation that must be taken into consideration, is the knowledge that has been so readily displayed. Not only is she aware of designations, but also preferences or predilections towards certain behaviors… such knowledge would be readily available to the Allspark, but not to others without lengthy and involved observation.

There are also the various methods that she uses to make Autumn smile. I am loath to make such an admission, but I have only been able to elicit a smile from Autumn once. Kinetica has easily managed that difficult feat several times to my knowledge. I have come to the conclusion that Kinetica enjoys giving Autumn reasons to smile.

"Prowl… I would appreciate being issued a set of quarters that I can use while we are here. After that is done, I can begin moving Autumn's things to my quarters." Kinetica said as she turned to face me with her right hand still on Autumn's left shoulder.

"That will only be partially acceptable because Autumn will still require supervision so long as she remains in possession of Ravage." I replied evenly.

"I have no qualms with that, _however_ … Autumn will now be recharging with me. Therefore, Ravage will be doing the same." Kinetica said with a near smirk.

"I get to slee… _recharge_ with you?" Autumn squealed happily.

"No Autumn… you don't _get_ to sleep or recharge with me. You're _going_ to because I'm simply going to refuse to have it any other way." Kinetica answered sternly.

Kinetica's left hand flashed out towards Autumn's right shoulder to grab Mikaela just a split instant before Autumn lunged forward with a loud crash to envelope Kinetica in a shaking hug.

Everyone's attention was drawn to a rather enraged growl that emanated from Ravage. It seems that Autumn merely shoved the Cybercat out of her lap in order to embrace the much larger femme.

"My apologies Ravage. I should have known that Autumn would react like that." Kinetica said as she looked at the Cybercat sitting on the berth. "At least I was able to keep you from further harm." She added with a look at Mikaela in her left hand.

"That's going to be kind of like a habit now… isn't it?" Mikaela asked ruefully.

"It seems to be developing into one, doesn't it?" Kinetica replied in an amused tone.

"Looks like my own _sister_ might be more dangerous to me than the Decepticons." Mikaela said jokingly.

"You'll have to cut her some slack Mikaela. She's young and still learning her frame." Kinetica said in a firm but amiable tone.

"S… sorry Mikaela! I just got so excited, I wasn't thinking about anything else." Autumn said in a sincere and very apologetic tone.

"Don't worry about it. _Mom's_ got my back!" Mikaela retorted with a chuckle.

"Yes, I do!" Kinetica answered with a smug grin. "I'll protect _all_ of my children when I can. Fortunately, there are times that I won't need to, because many of them are able to protect themselves."

"Mami loves us!" Autumn said to Mikaela seriously.

"Yes Autumn, I do. _However_ … there are some _extremely_ serious and important things that I will need to deal with in the coming days. I will always have you with me, but there will be times that I'll need you to remain silent so that I can tend to important matters, okay?" Kinetica said in a reasonable tone as she looked down at the young femme in her grasp.

Autumn nodded her head with a rather grave look on her face.

"I take it that you plan to do something about the war, don't you?" Mikaela asked quietly.

"Yes, Mikaela, I do." Kinetica said heavily. "This horrid war has gone on for _far_ too long, and it's time to bring it to an end."

"Good!" Mikaela replied with a nod. "I don't know how much help I can be, but I can at least try." She added earnestly.

"I know you'll do your best, and I couldn't ask for anything better. Sometimes the greatest of wisdom comes from the insight of the young." Kinetica answered with a light smile.

"Out of the mouths of babes." Mikaela said softly.

"Exactly!" Kinetica said with an approving nod.

 **Mikaela POV**

Kinetica… well _Mom_ put me back on Autumn's right shoulder. I kind of like sitting here, because not only is it a _really_ comfortable place to sit, but it also lets me stay close to Autumn so I can keep an eye on her.

It's pretty weird if you ask me. For the past couple of days, Autumn has been _really_ nervous and unsure of almost everything. So far that I've seen? Thing only thing Autumn _has_ been sure about, is holding on to Ravage. As far as everything else goes… it's like she _expects_ to be told no!

Her father must have been some _really_ special bastard for Autumn to be like this! She acts like she's not normally allowed to have _anything_ , so she's really surprised when she gets it. I heard some sad stories before, and some of the stuff was so bad that I just knew it couldn't be real. Autumn's story though? I _know_ it's real, because I have seen some of it at school, and I seriously doubt that her dad would have blown his own brains out after saying that he deserves a place even worse than hell if he hadn't been telling the truth. I know Mom said that Soundwave made him kill himself, and maybe that's true, but if even _half_ the crap that bastard said is true, then he truly deserved it!

The weird thing is, Autumn _was_ acting like a really scared and nervous kid, but today is a different story. Autumn seems to be much happier this morning, and the only thing that really changed, is that Kinetica is here now. Don't get me wrong… she still acts like a little kid, but she doesn't seem scared or nervous at all. With Mom around, she has some self-confidence… and _God_ am I glad to see that!

I still can't get over the fact that Kinetica _adopted_ me so easily! She did it so fast that it wouldn't have surprised me if she went and adopted the rest of the base too. She didn't do that though. I had to think about it for a while before I realized that she said she had learned more about Sam and I. That tells me she was paying attention to both of us. It means that she was already _planning_ this! She _knew_ that she was going to adopt me _months_ before she finally did it!

Once I realized these things, I knew there is no way I can call her by name. It just doesn't feel right. I know it'll be a while before I either love her or hate her, but I also know she isn't joking about this. I wonder what my Dad will say.

She looks over at me and flashes this weird sort of half smile. It's almost like she knows what I've been thinking. As soon as that thought goes through my head, she gives a slight nod before she looks back at Autumn. She knows! Somehow she knows all of it. She knows _exactly_ what I've been thinking.

Mom reached out and picked Autumn up to hold the femme against her left side. Autumn put her right arm across the back of Mom's shoulders and curled her legs a little for balance. I am still sitting on Autumn's right shoulder, but the move was so gentle and smooth, that I didn't even need to get a grip to hold on. That's when Mom turned and walked out of the medbay, while carrying both of us.


	55. Chapter 55

**Arcee POV**

I followed Kinetica as she walked out of the medbay. Autumn smiled brightly as she watched were she was being taken. Her left arm cradled Ravage, and I still find it hard to believe that anyone could actually _like_ that Cybercat! Autumn isn't just anyone though. I've come to see and understand that having Ravage with her is helping her mental stability. That's not an easy thing to admit. I don't like it that Ravage is needed by Autumn, but at the same time… I'm glad the Cybercat is here and _willing_ to help her.

There were several other bots trailing along behind us as we left the hangar system. Mostly, it's a set of hangars that are joined together to provide us with space out of the elements, but this space doesn't always give us the amount of room we need. I guess Kinetica agreed with me, because she took Autumn outside where she stopped for several moments.

At first Autumn merely relaxed in Kinetica's grasp, but then she began to look at the bot worriedly.

" _Mami_?" Autumn asked plaintively. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Autumn. I am using my comm system to access a few networks so I can gain my alt modes." Kinetica answered softly.

"Mami's getting her alt modes." Autumn whispered to Mikaela.

"Wait… alt _modes_?" Mikaela demanded hoarsely.

"That's what she said." Autumn replied with a shrug of her left shoulder. "So now we just wait till she's done and we get to see what she picked."

"I chose several things Autumn, but unfortunately… I'm going to have to put you down to activate those alt modes." Kinetica said as she bent down to place Autumn on her feet.

Autumn stepped back a few paces, and Kinetica transformed. I swear my jaw dropped open when I saw what she changed into. It was a _huge_ truck looking thing that was actually somewhat similar to Optimus, except that this had a back end to it that was almost like an SUV as well. As long as a human bus, but it was based on an eighteen wheeler!

"What in the name of Primus is that?" I blurted out in surprise.

"This is called a 'Kenworth Dominator'. It is jokingly known as the _biggest_ SUV on the planet… although this particular model is set up as an RV." Kinetica replied smugly.

That was when the femme started transforming again. This time, I was able to recognize one of the human helicopters. This was a Chinook tandem rotor CH-47. A very large helicopter with a _lot_ of lifting power! After that she transformed into an A-10 Thunderbolt which is also called the 'Warthog' by many of the humans. That type of aircraft is well known to have a large payload capacity and a _serious_ amount of firepower.

I admit it… I was stupefied when she began to change _again_! Only _this_ time she changed into a tank! It is an M1-A1 Abrams tank that is quite large and has excellent armor and mobility.

"I can't change into my last alt mode on dry land, but I don't think I'll need it anytime soon, so I can do without trying it for now." Kinetica said as she transformed back into her root mode and stood up.

"Mami's alt modes are _huge_!" Autumn whispered in awe.

Mikaela started snickering. "Go big or go home! Mom went more than just _big_!"

"Well it's not like I'm small enough to be a Ferrari like you, Autumn." Kinetica said in a cheerful tone.

It was true… but then Kinetica is _not_ a small bot! I couldn't help but notice that each of those alt modes are very powerful. With the sole exception of the seeker mode, each one is powerful enough to lift or move the others.

That was when Autumn began looking at Kinetica strangely. "What's wrong Autumn?" I asked her.

"I don't see any of the vehicle parts. The doors of my alt mode become my doorwings, but there's nothing on her. She's just a kind of light purple and white color, but there's no sign of her alt modes." Autumn said with a frown of confusion.

"That's because I have many alt modes, so the parts that would indicate them are stored in my subspace compartments… just like your mirror." Kinetica said easily.

Autumn looked down at her left arm for a moment before she looked back up at Kinetica. "Oh."

Suddenly Autumn twisted her head to look at Mikaela. "Have I showed you the mirror Bluestreak gave me?" She asked excitedly.

 **Mikaela POV**

I couldn't help but hear the excitement in Autumn's voice when she asked if she'd shown me her mirror. I didn't see why she'd get so hyped up over a simple mirror.

Autumn happily reach over to her upper left arm, flipped the armor out and reached _into_ her arm! Then she pulled out the mirror. _Now_ I could see why she was so excited by it! It was only a hand mirror for a human. Meaning it is my size and I'd be able to use it with no problem. The thing is… _that_ mirror would cost a _fortune_! Silver with a _ton_ of brilliantly glittering sapphires around the edge and in the handle, I knew it had to have been _seriously_ expensive! I couldn't help but let out a soft drawn out whistle.

"Autumn… that's _beautiful_!" I whispered softly.

"I know! I can't believe that Bluestreak would give me something like this… but he _did_!" Autumn squealed happily.

"Mikaela… just to let you know… both Autumn and Bluestreak are Praxian framed. Praxians are heavily attracted to shiny objects. The shinier it is, the more they like it. They like shiny things so much that they use them as mating gifts. That mirror means that Bluestreak gave Autumn the equivalent of an engagement ring with a four carat diamond in it." Mom said softly.

Now my jaw _did_ drop open! Seeing something like that is one thing, but knowing what it means? _That_ is something else!

" _Wow_!" I said softly. "So when are you two getting married… or whatever?"

"We already did. We Spark Bonded…" Autumn told me quietly, " _but they took that Bond away from me_!" She added in a wail of despair.

Kinetica stepped up to Autumn and I fast, I mean it was almost an instant kind of thing. She reached out and grabbed Autumn's face in both hands and forced Autumn to look up at her.

"Autumn… you need to relax. Bluestreak loves you, and so do I. If Ratchet hadn't removed that Bond when he did, _I_ would have removed it last night when I came online. Look at your sister… she's older than you are and you don't see _her_ getting married do you?" Kinetica asked in a reasonable tone.

Autumn shook her head, and I felt that I should reinforce what mom was just saying. "Sam and I haven't even _talked_ about getting married! That's a huge step Autumn. Before you even _think_ about something like that, you need to make sure you have a good education to fall back on if he can't support you. What if you have to support him? What then? How do you plan to manage that?"

"I don't think either one of us thought about _any_ of that stuff!" Autumn whispered softly with a look of shock.

"So what were you thinking about?" I asked her.

"I was thinking about how much I love him." Autumn answered honestly. "I loved him even before I knew he was a bot."

"He also loved you at that time Autumn. He loved you far too much to lie to you, and that is why he showed you what he is after he was specifically told not to." Mom said softly.

"He didn't get in trouble did he?" Autumn asked worriedly.

"Autumn, the only thing Bluestreak received because of that was a lecture. Optimus never even raised his voice at Bluestreak." Mom answered easily.

"Good. I don't want him getting in trouble for me." Autumn replied.

Mom let out a musical sounding laugh. "Bluestreak only got a lecture that didn't even last half a bream. You've gotten worse from Ratchet, so don't worry about it. Besides, it's over with."

"Okay Mami." Autumn said with a smile. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, right now, I'd like for Mikaela to take a look at the interior of my Dominator alt mode so she can tell me what she wants changed." Mom answered with a smile at both of us.

"What do you mean, what I want changed?" I asked in confusion.

"I mean exactly that." Mom answered cryptically. "I intend for Autumn to recharge with me, and I want to provide _you_ with a place that is a bit nicer than the trailer you shared with your aunt. So I want you to tell me what you want changed."

Autumn started giggling as she reached up and grabbed me before placing me down on the tarmac. Mom looked down at me and smiled before she changed back into that giant SUV looking thing.

I don't know what I was thinking as I stepped up to the open door and climbed up inside. What I do know, is that I felt like I had just walked into a _mansion_! A soft leather couch and table greeted me, before I saw the kitchen. There was a side by side refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, a stove with four burners and an oven, a dishwasher, built in coffee maker, and a decent sized pantry. The bathroom had a _nice_ shower that had three regular heads to it and a hand held unit as well. Then there was the bed room. My _God_! That just _has_ to be a full sized bed! There's a night stand on each side, a good sized closet, a chest of drawers, and a _huge_ flat panel TV that has to be close to sixty inches complete with built in surround sound through out the bed room!

"Kinetica… this is _incredible_!" I whispered in awe.

"Mikaela, I want you to call me ' _Mom_ ', okay?" She responded. "Now… is there anything you want different?"

"Unh uh… this is… this is _beautiful_! I _swear_ won't tear it up." I said as I tried not to start crying.

The whole setup was unbelievable… and it was for _me_! That's what is really so hard to believe. She did this strictly for me so I'd have a nice place to stay. I have no idea why she would do this, but… _wow_! This is _nice_! I am still pretty stunned when I step outside.

"Well? What's she like inside?" Autumn asked excitedly.

"Honestly? I've been in bigger places, but I've never been in anything nicer." I answered a little breathlessly.

Autumn smiled as she picked me up and put me back on her left shoulder.

 **Agent James Slovakia POV**

I walked into my office this morning after a three day weekend and booted up the computer only to find _hundreds_ of e-mails waiting for me! I am completely flabbergasted as I stare at my inbox in shock! I open the first e-mail to see that the IP address, the physical address, full name, photo, physical description, phone number, e-mail address, and cell phone number is all in the e-mail. Then there are a number of files on the computer listed as well.

The problem is, the e-mail states that _all_ of the listed files are illegal pictures of minors. That means this information is about a pedophile. It explains why I received this e-mail. The weird thing about it is at the bottom of the e-mail though.

We are Anonymous. Anonymous is Legion. We are everyone, and no one. We are your mother, your father, your brother, or your sister. We are your cousin, your neighbor, or the kid down the street. We are your worst enemy, and your best friend. Anonymous never forgives. Anonymous never forgets. Anonymous always delivers. Expect us… We are coming.

That message was giving me a _serious_ case of the chills! I know what the hacker group Anonymous usually does. They are responsible for a great many illegal activities, and yet while what they actually did was illegal, the _reason_ for it was not. They've exposed banks that cheated their customers out of money, and many other things. The strange thing about the group is that they claim to help the downtrodden and the oppressed, and that is what they do. While their _reasons_ are moral and just, the _means_ are against the law. The funny part is, Anonymous has caused a large number of white collar criminals to get convicted, but the way they do it is still against the law. I know of more than a hundred warrants that are only lacking a name on them.

Almost all of the rest of the e-mails are the same. Hundreds, no… _thousands_ of e-mails, each containing all of the necessary information to obtain a search warrant and get a conviction. All of them contained the same message from Anonymous. Apparently Anonymous has decided to go after pedophiles with a vengeance. I don't know why, but I certainly won't argue with it. Then, there are the other e-mails. They list specific websites… illicit websites that cater to child pornography. Those need to be shut down ASAP!

I got on the phone and started talking to several other agents. This is going to be a _massive_ undertaking, one that involves law enforcement agencies across the nation. For one-hundred and seventeen thousand, two-hundred and thirty-eight suspects, this will need to be a coordinated effort.

 **Prowl POV**

As Kinetica left the rec room with Autumn in her grasp, I signaled to Optimus that I needed to speak with him. This is a matter that I believe is very important… especially now that Starscream has a pending arrival.

I followed the Autobot Leader to his office. Once the door was closed, we each sat down facing each other.

"It should concern you to note that I have recently been detecting a massive amount of radio transmissions. These transmissions are being directed to the orbiting communications satellite where everything is then disbursed through the human's internet. I have been unable to ascertain the nature of these communications, but I have been able to determine the source." I told Optimus gravely.

"What type of communication are we talking about?" Optimus asked me.

"Unknown. However… I do know that so far, there have been no incoming transmissions at this time, everything has been outbound. The alarming aspect is that it is Soundwave who has been sending these transmissions over the past four hours." I stated.

Optimus narrowed his optics and nodded seriously. I can see that he is deeply concerned about a possible breach of security.

"Have any of the computers on this base been compromised?" Optimus asked sternly.

"Not to my knowledge, no." I answered.

 **:Optimus Prime to Soundwave… I need you to report to my office immediately.:**

I waited in silence for several minutes before the large mech entered. As soon as he did, Optimus spoke.

"Soundwave, it has been brought to my attention that you have recently begun to send signals of some kind. Why?" Optimus said firmly as he got right to the reason for the bot's presence.

"Designation Soundwave aware of illicit activities potentially harmful to human sparklings. Sparkling Autumn while human was subjected to one of them. Sexual encounters and manipulation of human sparklings will no longer be tolerated. Pertinent information regarding 117,238 offenders transmitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for prosecution." Soundwave stated calmly.

"Am I to understand that you are assisting human law enforcement officials in this matter?" I demanded.

"List of offenders sent, previously unknown to human law enforcement. Search for further violations of this nature continues." Soundwave replied evenly.

"I do not know if the human authorities will be able to use such information immediately, because of their laws and procedures. However, I will not ask you to stop trying to help them in this way, because I too find such behavior abhorrent. The other issue is that you should have told either myself or Prowl about what you were doing, so that no one would be alarmed by unknown signals. Many Autobots would be very uneasy about that with Starscream coming soon. Unfortunately, he knows about Kinetica, and that might pose a serious problem." Optimus stated.

"Negative! Allspark Kinetica adequately defended by herself and others. Possibility of Allspark's capture… non-existent."

"Then you are also convinced that Kinetica _is_ the Allspark?" Optimus asked seriously.

"Affirmative. Identity of Kinetica, unquestionable. Decepticon forces, insufficient to pose any threat to new embodiment of Allspark." Soundwave stated calmly.

"Are my audio receivers functioning correctly? Did you state unequivocally that even if _all_ of the Decepticons were to attempt to capture Kinetica, that they would be unable to do so?" I demanded in surprise.

"Affirmative."


	56. Chapter 56

**William Lennox POV**

I saw Optimus come out of his office along with Prowl and the Soundwave bot. Hide's told me a _lot_ of really bad things about that bot, which is why I don't see the reason for him to be trusted the way he is. Optimus is a good person, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it seems like he is _far_ too trusting of others. He likes to see the best in people rather than their faults. Maybe that's why almost everyone seems to like him. I know Autumn is scared of him for some reason, but the other person that doesn't like him, doesn't appear to like _anyone_! Then again, Galloway is a jackass, and I don't really care if he likes me or not.

All three bots walked out of the hangar, and I followed them to see what was going on. The first thing that caught my attention was the VIP chopper setting down on the helipad. An unannounced arrival could only mean one thing… and it _wasn't_ good at all!

Galloway got out of the chopper before the rotors finished shutting down, and even from about two hundred yards away, I could see a pissed off look on his face. I knew right away that he was going to ruin the entire day for a _lot_ of people. Galloway had four aides following him as he stormed over to the group of Autobots.

"Well… it's clear that protocol and regulations are being _conveniently_ ignored whenever you worthless machines feel like it! That stops _now_!" Galloway snapped angrily.

" _That_ thing is going to be melted down, and I am going to watch! It will happen today or else the whole lot of you can leave this planet! Is that understood?" Galloway snarled while pointing up at Autumn who was being held by Kinetica.

"Actually I believe that some clarification is in order." Kinetica replied almost instantly.

I'd heard that tone of voice before. It _sounded_ soft and sweet, but Sarah had been _beyond_ pissed when she'd used it! I knew right then, that I was going to keep my mouth shut, and let her handle this. I don't _ever_ want _that_ level of anger directed at me again! Once was enough!

"Are you actually _demanding_ the destruction of the _only_ Cybertronian _child_ in existence? With the exception of Autumn, the youngest Cybertronian is old enough to have watched your species crawl _into_ the caves _long_ before your race even discovered _fire_!" Kinetica replied in that same tone with a strange smile on her face.

I'm not an idiot like Galloway; I _know_ something's up, and it _won't_ be good!

"Yes, I am! You can either do it right now, or you can start packing! That thing gets melted down, or your amnesty is _over_!" Galloway shouted while going red in the face.

Kinetica held up her right hand in a clear signal to wait. That is when I saw that _several_ bots were probably about to step on the man… or probably shoot him. I _can_ say that both Soundwave and Optimus are _pissed_!

"Very well Director Galloway." Kinetica began in an actually _calm_ tone. "You have made your position _very_ clear. So I will make _mine_ clear as well."

Kinetica rubbed her right hand down the back of Autumn's head as she smiled at her before looking back down at Galloway.

"Your _insistence_ on the death and destruction of the _only_ child to exist for the Cybertronian race is nothing less than an _official_ declaration of a war for the _extinction_ of our species! Because Autumn is a _civilian_ in addition to being a child, your declaration is immoral and _criminal_ as well! As of this instant, the Autobots will no longer prevent, intervene, or interfere with _any_ Decepticon incursion or attack against the human race! We will leave this planet and allow the Decepticons to enslave or destroy all life on this planet at their choice. They will also be informed of this fact. Your _superiors_ have twenty-four hours to confirm your declaration of _absolute_ war, at the end of that twenty-four hours… _all_ Autobot forces will vacate this planet completely and leave the human race to defend themselves against an orbital bombardment from the Decepticons." Kinetica answered in a firm tone.

"Just who in the _hell_ do you think you are to make such a decision? Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots… _not you_! When did _you_ get here anyway?" Galloway snapped.

"I have been on this planet since before your race developed civilization. I have been held captive by _your_ government for _years_ while watching as I was experimented on and saw _thousands_ of _infants_ created and _killed_ while they could do _nothing_! I am she that was once called ' _The Cube_ '! I am the Allspark, and because of that… _I_ am the actual leader of _all_ Cybertronians should I choose to become such. If I make a decision for the Autobots, Optimus _will_ do what I say!" Kinetica shot back.

I have to say… it is a _real_ pleasure to watch Galloway go that pale as the blood drains from his face. He's just put himself in a _very_ nasty position! He does _not_ have the authority to declare _any_ type of war, because that has to be done by an act of Congress. Then there's the fact that the UN was involved in granting the Autobots asylum on Earth. For Galloway to declare a war of _extinction_ means that every nation on Earth will have to be notified of his actions. All it will take is for _one_ nation to disagree with his decision to render it void. What he just did, is _very_ likely to get the US attacked by the rest of the entire world! The bad part is, a lot of other countries have nukes, and as serious as this mess is… I _know_ they'll get used.

I have no choice but to report this to _all_ of my commanding officers and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well. Galloway stepped in it _deep_ this time, and _no one_ is going to be able to save him!

 **Optimus Prime POV**

Director Galloway looked up at me as his face once again clouded with anger. "Are you going to support this?" He demanded of me.

"Yes, I am. Kinetica has not actually stipulated that she plans to take control of our race, but that fact does not negate or make what she has stated any less valid. I will take this opportunity to apologize for the end of your world." I answered gravely.

Somehow, I know that Kinetica does not intend for anything to happen to this planet. The short reassuring look she gave Mikaela while smiling at Autumn tells me that. It means that this is a bluff… and one that will _not_ be called! I know some of the laws that the United States of America must follow and because of those laws Director Galloway's words are nothing more than a result of his anger. I will admit that Kinetica has construed his statements to mean something that is nothing like what was probably intended, but he has also _not_ denied the meaning that Kinetica has placed upon them.

Kinetica said nothing more to Director Galloway as she turned and walked away. Several of the other bots did so as well, leaving me with Prowl and Captain Lennox as my companions.

"This time, you chunks of scrap-metal have gone too far!" Director Galloway seethed as he turned and headed back to his helicopter.

I noticed that Captain Lennox's face hardened in anger as he watched the human leave. I also noticed that he was trying not to laugh for some reason.

"Well… looks like it's time to ruin the day for a _lot_ of my bosses, because they are _not_ going to be happy to hear about this." Captain Lennox said sourly as he went back into the hangar.

"Having familiarized myself with American laws and procedures, I am able to state with certainty that Director Galloway has both exceeded and abused his authority in this matter. Any perceived authority that he believed himself to possess, has also been exceeded. The probability of Director Galloway not being criminally prosecuted for overstepping his bounds is much less than negligible." Prowl told me.

I simply nodded my head. I know that what Director Galloway has just done will mean the end of his career, and possibly even his life. There is nothing I can do to prevent his death if he is sentenced to be executed by law.

 **Mikaela POV**

I felt it when all the blood drained out of my face because of what had been said. I _know_ what hand held Cybertronian weapons can do, so I don't even want to _imagine_ what an orbital weapon would do.

I was ready to start crying, begging, shouting… _anything_ that I could think of as Mom carried Autumn and I back to the rec room. The reason I didn't? She had winked at me! Everything she said to that bastard was some kind of bluff… at least I _prayed_ that it was!

"Both of you need to calm down and relax! None of what I said will happen. The humans will _not_ allow Galloway to get away with what he said, _and_ because of the _extreme_ repercussions of that little grudge match, Galloway will likely end up in prison for the rest of his natural life. North Korea would oppose anything America declared on a matter of principle, and so would a dozen other nations, which means that nothing I said is going to happen." Mom told us as she sat down.

She's right. I _know_ she's right, but still… hearing something like that doesn't cause a lot of warm fuzzy feelings.

"You don't like him very much… _do_ you Mami?" Autumn asked softly.

"No Autumn, I don't. One of the first memories I acquired from you was you being terrified by Galloway as a human. I know first hand what he told Prowl, and how you were treated the day Ravage arrived. I know how frightened you are of him, so I've put a permanent stop to it. I am _not_ going to allow him to terrify you anymore! You're with me now, and I am going to do whatever I feel is needed to take care of you. That includes saying things that really shouldn't have been said at all." Mom told Autumn.

Her voice was nice, soft, and gentle, but I still know that she means it. That tells me that she really didn't want to say those things to Galloway, but she did it for Autumn. The thing is… I know that what she said is going to get that jerk away from the Autobots too. Maybe she did it for both reasons, I don't know. I _do_ know that she is proving that she actually cares about Autumn, and somehow, I know that she cares just as much about me.

 **Arcee POV**

I'd heard everything that Galloway and Kinetica had said to each other. I hated that she'd delivered that kind of an ultimatum… it had such very _dire_ consequences! Then I heard what she told Autumn and Mikaela in the rec room. Every word she had said to Galloway had been something that she had _known_ would _never_ happen! She had just made certain that particular human would never again trouble Autumn, or any of those on this island. That should help Autumn understand that Kinetica really _does_ care about her… so do I and every other bot here, but she doesn't seem to recognize that.

I think I've figured out why Kinetica has the face that she does. It's something that she _knows_ Autumn will be drawn to… both as a protector, and as a caretaker. Given what I know of Autumn's life before she arrived here, I know that Autumn actually needs that protection in a psychological way. I have no doubts that every bot on this island would not hesitate to protect Autumn physically. That's the entire problem though… _I_ have no doubts! The problem is convincing _Autumn_ of that fact, to make her see that she isn't a waste of metal, that she is someone important to us!

Kinetica hasn't wasted any time in showing Autumn that others care about her. I can't say that she had people who cared about her that as a human… but she _certainly_ does now! Mikaela has told us in hushed tones how Autumn hadn't had any friends while she was still human… with no friends, no Carrier, and a Sire that isn't worth mentioning, it's no surprise that Autumn feels abandoned and alone. She isn't alone any longer; she now has three Autobot femmes, and nearly a dozen Autobot mechs who will stand with her. That's not counting Soundwave, Ravage, or even Kinetica. That's also not counting the humans who will gladly help out.

I know that many of the humans are ecstatic over what Kinetica said to Galloway. Those who are in the rec room with us are smiling widely. Some of them seem as if they are ready to start _singing_!

 _ **Author's Notes: I told you folks a while back that Galloway would get what he deserves… now didn't I? Yeah, this was all part of the plan way back then! Seriously… who saw THAT coming?**_


	57. Chapter 57

**Bumblebee POV**

I put Sam on my right shoulder and headed for the rec room because the comms were absolutely _filled_ with information on Kinetica telling Galloway off. No one likes him… not even Bluestreak, and I thought he likes _everybody_!

Kinetica, Arcee, Autumn, and Mikaela were all in the rec room. Kinetica was getting a cube of coffee, although why she was doing that I have no idea, because Sam and Mikaela together couldn't drink that much. She had already gotten a couple of bottles of that Starbucks stuff, and a trio of energon cubes.

Kinetica took everything over to the table where everyone was sitting, and started passing everything out. She gave Mikaela, who was sitting on Autumn's right shoulder the Starbucks, and Arcee and Ravage a cube of energon each. Then she did something that surprised me, she gave Autumn the cube that contained the coffee, while keeping a cube of energon for herself.

"Are you sure that Autumn can still drink that? Coffee can cause a lot of damage to our systems." I said in an alarmed warning.

"When I changed Autumn from human into a bot, I made sure that I didn't remove all vestiges of her human past. She is able to consume a _small_ amount of solid human food, and a single cube of non-carbonated fluids. Unlike you or I, or any other bot in existence for that matter, Autumn is able to enjoy human sustenance in ways that were previously denied to her. So… yes, she's able to enjoy that coffee, where you and I can't." Kinetica told me.

"Why didn't you build your frame so that you _could_ eat human foods?" Mikaela asked curiously.

"I very well _could_ have… but that's something special that I reserved specifically for Autumn." Kinetica answered easily.

I had to reset some processors on that one! The _Allspark_ had given someone else an ability that even _she_ didn't have!

"I… I'm not special…" Autumn protested in a near whisper.

"You are now." Mikaela shot back with a snickering laugh.

I can see that Autumn didn't actually believe that statement from Mikaela. I couldn't understand why though… _everyone_ is special in some unique way!

"Really?" Autumn asked doubtfully.

"Autumn… do you _really_ think that I would have gone through the effort and spent the power necessary to change you from human to bot if I _didn't_ think you were special? Would Ratchet have spent the time to repair your voice as a human, and make the repairs on your frame as a bot, if he didn't think you were worth it? Would the Autobots keep you supplied with energon which is a _very_ valuable resource right now, if they didn't think you are special? There are _very_ few individuals that Ravage likes… to my knowledge there are only two other bots that Ravage will have anything to do with… do you _really_ think Ravage would be willing to stay with you if _she_ didn't think you are special?" Kinetica asked sincerely.

Autumn had a stricken and somewhat surprised look on her face as she stared down at Ravage. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head slowly and sadly.

"Exactly! There are several people here Autumn, who believe that you _are_ special… even if you don't think you're special, there are many others here who _do_!" Kinetica said firmly but gently at the same time.

I could see that she was being very gentle with Autumn, but then, _everyone_ was! Even _Ratchet_ was fairly nice to her, and he was grouchy with everyone!

There was one thing I'd heard about though, and it was something that nearly blew my processors when I heard about it. Autumn apparently _liked_ 'The Terror Twins'! I heard Ratchet telling Optimus that she'd even _hugged_ Sunstreaker without even getting _growled_ at! That bot didn't even allow his own twin _brother_ to touch him without severe repercussions! That alone kind of proved that Autumn really _is_ something special.

Then there's Soundwave. That mech scares _everyone_! With that telepathy of his, he knows what you are going to do before you even _try_ it! As dangerous as he is, he left the Decepticons and joined the Autobots for Autumn.

Suddenly, Kinetica turned to Autumn with a _truly_ torqued expression.

"Keep telling her things like that, because you'll be dealt with soon enough!" Kinetica snarled angrily.

Poor Autumn looks as if she is about to burst into tears while running. I can't say that I blame her either, because that tone has _me_ ready to start running!

" _M… Mami_?" Autumn asked in a _very_ shaken tone.

"I'm not speaking to _you_ Autumn… I'm talking to that voice residing in your helm!" Kinetica said gently.

"Wait a minute! She's got a voice in her head?" Mikaela demanded with a look of stunned shock.

"Yes, she does. It's a voice that Soundwave was forced to argue with not long before you two met for the second time." Kinetica replied to Mikaela before looking back up face Autumn.

"You have been denigrating and humiliating Autumn since _long_ before I came into contact with her. That is going to stop… _now_! Autumn is _mine_ … and there is _nothing_ you or _anyone_ can say about her to make me change my mind!" Kinetica said in a hiss of rage.

That was when Autumn's face twisted into a look of _insane_ rage and she reached up to grab Kinetica by her throat. Kinetica responded by plucking Mikaela off Autumn's shoulder and smiling at both of them.

This _has_ to be about _the_ most frightening thing I've ever seen! Autumn is _seriously_ trying to kill Kinetica, but Kinetica only reached back to place Mikaela safely on the table before restraining Autumn forcefully while being very gentle about it at the same time.

"I'm not going to change my mind about Autumn, and you _certainly_ don't have the ability to make me. You can't make me _injure_ Autumn either! I know you _enjoy_ her pain, revel in her misery, and are strengthened by her absolute despair… but no more. Autumn is _my_ daughter now! I am going to see that she is happy, cheerful, cherished, and as much as _you_ are going to hate it… she will _know_ that she is _loved_!" Kinetica said sternly.

 **Mikaela POV**

Don't ask me what's going on, because I have _no_ idea! What I _do_ know… is that one second Mom is putting me on the table while she wrestles with Autumn, and the next second, I'm in some kind of pitch dark room.

I'm really confused when I look around. All the bots that I know are there except Autumn. I turn almost a full circle and finally spot her behind me. Instead of the femme that I was looking for, she's human again. I know that's her because I distinctly remember what she used to look like. She's curled up in a corner. Her knees are pulled up against her chest, head down, and arms covering her face. It's like she expects to get _beaten_ or something. I don't know how or why, but I know she's scared. No… she's more than that. Autumn is so terrified right now that she can't even scream. Don't ask me how I know this… because I just _do_! I… I can _feel_ it!

I start to walk over to her when a woman's voice yells at me to stop and leave Autumn alone. I look towards where the voice came from and feel the blood freeze in my chest!

Bloody Mary has _nothing_ on this bitch! Her black, matted and blood splattered hair is kind of curly and goes down to her waist. She's not wearing _anything_ , but _God_ I wish she was! She's got these huge dark bruises _everywhere,_ and lots… and I mean _lots_ of bleeding cuts and gashes all over her body. She is glaring at me with red eyes, ragged lips, and a fang filled mouth that's drooling with blood. This bitch looks like a nightmare zombie that got _pissed_!

I'm staring at her in shock, and I _swear_ can see some of her ribs because the skin and muscle is ripped away, and one of the small breasts is even missing… with only a bloody hole to show where it's _supposed_ to be!

That's when _I_ get pissed! I'm not letting some female version of Freddy Kruger on the rag tell me what to do. I know the bots will give me all the cover I need, so I _deliberately_ march over to where Autumn is cowering in a corner.

" _Bitch! I told you to stay away from her! She's going to die like everything else, and if you try to help her, I'll kill you first!"_

Her voice was like something straight out of The Exorcist… or maybe Hell itself. She started moving towards me… _fast_! As fast as she was, she was still blown backwards by an explosion.

That's when Ravage stepped in front of me. I remember Autumn _telling_ me that she had missiles, but being told something, and _seeing_ it is a whole other story! They came up out of her back and were pointed straight at ' _The Demon'_! I could see that one of them had been fired, but even as I looked, Ravage rotated the missiles so that the two that were left formed the right side of a pyramid while the third one on the bottom left was being reloaded. That huge metal panther was crouched low to the ground and ready to pounce. Those big metal fangs were showing, and if I had thought she looked dangerous before, she now took that to a whole new level.

I stepped back towards Autumn while watching what is happening in front of me. Because she had to reload, I know that it was Ravage who caused that explosion. Looks like she's got my back, so I can see about Autumn.

I go over to Autumn and kneel down beside her. I put my hand on her back and start rubbing gently.

"It's going to be okay Autumn. We're all here, and that bitch isn't going to get near you." I tell her.

Autumn lowered her arms and raised her head to look up at me. That is when I see the scar across her throat. She tries to say something but no sound comes out. Not only is she human again, but she mute again too! She starts to cry, but before her tears even start to fall, I'm talking to her.

"Don't worry about this Autumn! Ratchet fixed your voice once before, so you can bet that he knows how to do it again!" I tell her in a firm tone.

A couple of thumps attract my attention for a second, and I look around to see Soundwave, Lazerbeak, and Buzzsaw standing in front of us providing cover. I can't see past them, but I can hear that _Demon_ snarling something or other, and she sounds madder than hell.

 **Optimus POV**

I am not sure how this has occurred, but I _believe_ that I, along with many others, are now inside Autumn's mind. The human _creature_ that has been tormenting Autumn is now exposed to us.

Ravage has struck the first blow, but Kinetica… _she_ has become enraged! She is slapping the creature hard enough to fling it across this strange room and hit the far wall. Slaps, kicks, and back hands are being _rapidly_ unleashed by the now irate femme as she moves forward to maintain close range. The sheer _speed_ with which she landed her strikes against the creature, are much like watching a video game where one is pounding on a helpless opponent! Then, I see her grab the creature, stand to her full height and throw the thing against the floor before trying to crush it beneath her massive foot. The head, shoulders and only part of the creature's chest is left exposed, but I can _easily_ hear the snapping of bones as Kinetica begins to apply her weight.

" _You might defeat me and think that you've won, but sooner or later Autumn will have to sleep, and when she does, I'll have free reign over her once more!"_

That statement was followed by a sadistically sinister laugh that made even the _worst_ mech I have ever encountered seem to be a decent bot by comparison. That laughter was so evil that I felt my metal crawl when I heard it. I have fought in many battles in which I might have been killed, I have even fought Megatron to the death, and _never_ have I felt such fear as I do upon hearing that laugh.

"Autumn will be sleeping with _me_ from now on, and Ravage will always be with her. That means you will _never_ catch her unguarded again! Oh… don't worry about that though, because I know _exactly_ how to deal with you!" Kinetica replied with a vengeful smile of her own.

"Soundwave… can you kill this creature permanently?" Kinetica asked as she looked over at the bot standing defensively in front of Mikaela and Autumn.

"Answer: affirmative! Elimination and eradication of destructive persona recommended." Soundwave answered.

"Good!" Kinetica said as she applied more of her weight to the creature eliciting a scream of rage from it.

It is somehow strange, but I can feel Autumn's terror, Mikaela's determination, Kinetica's resolve along with the emotions of every bot here, but there is no fear from the creature beneath Kinetica's right foot. Instead, there is only an intense rage that defies any description I might try to give.

"Kill that Demon bitch! If that's what Autumn's had to put up with along with everything else, then make it slow and painful! I want that bitch to _suffer_!" Mikaela snarled as she took a position next to Soundwave's leg.

"Make that _thing_ scream in pain! Let _her_ know what it feels like to be in agony for once. Autumn's been through enough!" Mikaela snapped angrily.

"I couldn't _possibly_ agree with you more, Mikaela." Kinetica said sweetly as she started to crush the creature.

An audio piercing scream of absolute agony tore through the large room and caused almost everyone to double over while clutching their head in pain. As I fell to my knees in pain from the head splitting shriek, I saw that there were _only_ two individuals who weren't affected by it.

Kinetica stood with a strangely pleased smile on her face, while Autumn stood from her position in a corner. No longer cowering, Autumn stood proudly, _defiantly_ while seeming to draw strength and determination from within. The pain I am in, is nearly forgotten as I watch Autumn grow taller and more robust. Then her body begins to change… until she stands tall and lithe in her own frame again.

"Soundwave? I need you to kill this thing immediately." Kinetica asked without looking away from the zombie type creature beneath her right foot.

"Answer: affirmative… termination and eradication in progress." The mech replied almost _eagerly_.

For as long as I have known him and known _of_ him, Soundwave has been nearly as emotionless as Prowl. Everything I have heard about the bot tends to indicate that he doesn't _have_ any emotions! Apparently… I have heard _wrong_!

Soundwave raised his head from where he was kneeling down on the floor holding his head because of the same pain that I am dealing with. Then, the mech surged to his feet and staggered towards Kinetica.

"Autobot Autumn will be harmed… _no… more_!"

I _know_ that those last two words were snarled in rage! I can feel the anger coming from him and I know that it's directed at the creature that Kinetica has pinned. I know the anger is his and it intensifies right before the strange creature vanishes completely.

The room then begins to brighten, I see that the floor of the room is old wood that has been covered in various dark stains. An old worn mattress lay on the floor in one corner with a single solitary sheet that had been tossed to one side. The sheet had seen better days, but not in this decade. It was so worn and threadbare that it was nearly transparent. There was no furniture to be seen except for a very inexpensive alarm clock that sat on the floor. There was a closet, but the door to it was so dilapidated that it couldn't be closed.

"Autumn… do you know what this place is?" Mikaela asked softly.

"This was my bedroom." Autumn answered tonelessly.

"I never had anything because we couldn't afford it. My… _father_ … kept spending everything on his booze, drugs, and whores. Before the Autobots found me, I was already a size zero, and even those shirts and pants were getting big on me." Autumn added bitterly.

 **Arcee POV**

The barren room vanished in a blaze of white light, and I blinked to find myself back in the rec room. I was once again sitting at the table with Kinetica, Autumn, and Mikaela, while Bee is standing not too far away. Kinetica was holding Autumn by her wrists, restraining her without hurting her.

"Autumn?" Kinetica said gently as she pulled the young femme into an embrace.

"Yes Mami?"

"I'm very sorry that I had to hold you like that. I _did_ try not to hurt you, but I wasn't given much of a choice." Kinetica said seriously.

"I know. She… she was going to _kill_ you!" Autumn whispered almost in tears.

"No. She certainly intended to _try_ , but neither you, nor your frame has that ability. The materials of your frame aren't strong enough to damage the materials of my frame at all. That's why I needed to restrain you, to keep her from hurting your sister and to keep her from hurting _you_!" Kinetica told her gently.

Autumn nodded her head before looking over at Mikaela standing on the table.

"Do you really think she's gone?" Autumn asked in doubt.

"As far as I can tell Autumn… she _is_ gone. Only Soundwave would be able to say for certain though. So asking him is something you should do." Kinetica answered before Mikaela could respond.

At that moment, every bot on base came running into the rec room.


End file.
